


Lighting Up the Darkness

by ariesgirl0418



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alaina is just frustrated and confused and wants to be normal, Auras, F/M, I promise the love is there, Jason is overprotective, Lots of anger and frustration, Nico is is antisocial like always, Nico just takes a while to warm up to Alaina, Normality is overrated though, Pain, Panic Attacks, Some OOC, THERE'S A METHOD TO THE MADNESS I PROMISE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2018-09-23 09:32:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 52,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9649826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariesgirl0418/pseuds/ariesgirl0418
Summary: Alaina's was just a typical girl who started having random dreams about these guys she's never met. The next day proves to be a disaster. One thing leads to another and she finds herself in a whole new world full of demigods and monsters trying to kill her at every turn, all while searching for love (maybe from the boy with the dark aura?) and the truth about the disappearance of her mother. Of course, the gods don't make anything easy for her, but with the help of some veteran demigods, maybe she can keep herself on the light path.





	1. Hallucinations

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently decided to make the jump from the website I have been posting this piece on (since I started it) to AO3 and I'm mostly just curious to see how it's received across other demographics. So please feel free to point out any mistakes you may find, I don't mind. I really hope you all enjoy this piece. I try to stick closely to Rick's version of things, but I have and will continue to change parts to fit within my creative mindset.

            I was sitting in the back of Algebra, doodling in the margins of my notebook when I noticed that there were two strange boys on either side of me. Both radiated strong auras. The one on my left radiated a bright soft green aura that reminded me of the sea and happy times at the beach, of waves crashing on the sand and surfers racing to catch the biggest wave of the summer; of salty sea kisses and races to see who could swim out the farthest before turning back. The other’s aura was dark, like the dead of the night, it reminded me of the scary monsters that creep from under your bed from when you were a child, waiting to eat you in the darkness, of souls haunting the living, jealous that their lives were cut short, and of ghosts that taunt trick-or-treaters on Halloween; it reminded me of blinding darkness, of complete and utter nothingness.

            I looked to each in turn. “You’re not in this class.” I say, feeling stupid stating the obvious. The boy with the dark aura turned to me.

            “Who says we’re not?” he retorts.

            The other boy, the one with the lighter aura, looks curiously at me.

            “Well, you’re definitely too old to be in school anymore.” I say, pointing at him.

            He smirks. “I got retained for a few years.”

            I shake my head. “This is wrong.” I declare.

            “Then you better wake up.” The dark aura boy states.

            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

            I wake up to the sound of thunder and it takes me a minute to realize that I had been sleeping. Except, the dream was so life-like. I’m too afraid to go back to sleep and looking at the clock I see it’s only 4 a.m., so I just lay there trying to replay the dream in my head. I couldn’t remember what the boys look like anymore, just the way their auras felt.

            Eventually the thunder calms down and I relax. I lay in bed for an hour longer before I become restless and start getting ready for school. All throughout my morning process, I think about my dream. I had no idea what it meant; in fact I was a little scared to find out I rarely had dreams and when I did they were always weird and I was always unable to remember them after waking up. I hear my mother rummaging around in the kitchen as I brush the knots out of my hair and as soon as I finish I head downstairs.

            When I step into the kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs fills my nose. My mother turns around and smiles at me immediately. Everyone who’s ever met the two of us has said I’m a splitting imagine of her with blonde hair that’s filled with waves and curls slightly at the end and dark blue eyes that held a tint of mischievousness. We’re both stubborn as a mule, with a bit of sass, except I was just a tad more sarcastic than my mother (okay, maybe I’m under exaggerating, but that’s okay). Either way, I was especially sarcastic and full of jokes. My mom used to tell me that I would just walk into a room and everyone’s faces would light up at the sight of me, but that was years ago, back before everything started going wrong.

            “Alaina, have you taken your pills yet?” my mother asks, still smiling, but I noticed something was off about her smile.

            I roll my eyes. She knows I haven’t considering she keeps the pills in the kitchen cupboard.

            “Not yet.” I respond, walking over to take the pills out of the cupboard. My mom eyes me like a hawk as I pour two of the tiny pills out onto my hand and shove them into my mouth, making sure I swallow the two I take every morning. When she’s satisfied that I had indeed swallowed them, she turns back to her eggs, humming and singing softly under her breath.

            I couldn’t catch any of the words, but they sound like they were in a different language and the tune had an older, more ancient sound to it. As I stare at my mother I notice small streaks of gray in her hair and I realized she was aging. My mom didn’t work and I knew I was a handful to raise sometimes. We were always moving for some reason and though I always tried to do my best in school, to not get into fights and to get good grades without causing too much trouble, something always happened that ended with us leaving or me being expelled. Just when I made new friends at school, we’d have to leave, so I stopped making friends and I eventually stopped trying to do my best. I became isolated from the other kids and as long as I kept to myself, there wasn’t much trouble I could get into. I didn’t realize I’d been spacing out until my mom was standing right in front of me wearing a worried expression.

            “Alaina? Are you okay? The pills are working right?” she pesters anxiously.

            I managed a small smile.

            “I’m fine, and of course they’re working.” I reassure her. I’d been taking the same pills for years, there was no reason for them not to work now. My mom didn’t look fully convinced, like she knew I was holding back something.

            “Okay, well eat something then. It looks like a storm is brewing this week.” She says, placing a plate of food on the table. I sit down and stare at it. I wasn’t hungry, a side effect of taking the pills, but I pretend to eat my food and enjoy it for her sake.

            My mom watches me, as if she senses something bad is going to happen while I eat. I love my mom, but she can be very overbearing a lot of the time. She never used to let me outside without her being there. I wasn’t allowed to go out with friends as a preteen without parental supervision. Even now, if I had any friends, I doubt she would let me so much as spend an hour with them before tracking me down. I didn’t have a cellphone because my mom was dead set against them so I had to give her a detailed report on who I’d be with, when I was leaving, when I’d be back, and where I was going. She panicked if I was even a minute late coming back from school. I didn’t understand the reasons behind it all, but if I brought the subject up she’d just start crying.

            My mom seemed to get worse with every year. I never knew my father and my mother never offered up any information about him to me. I used to ask her about him sometimes, but she’d get this strange look in her eyes and would tell me we were better off without him in our lives. If I tried to pressure her for more information, she’d get defensive and say that it was a conversation for a later day. Eventually, I stopped asking her about him and she pretended like we’d never had the conversations in the first place.

            “Alaina?” my mom asks. I hadn’t realized I was staring at my half-eaten food until she called my name.

            “I’m fine, mom, just tired.” I try to reassure her.

            She frowns, but only says,

            “Come on, let’s get you to school then.”

            I take the bus to school, so she walks me to my bus stop every morning. I figured most kids thought it was weird that a 16-almost 17-year old girl had her mom walk her to the bus stop every morning, but I didn’t care. It appeased my mother so I never complained.

            “Have a good day at school, sweetheart.” My mom says as I climb on the bus. I wave at her in response and head to the back of the bus where there were more empty seats. I lay my head against the bus cool window and watch the cars pass by on my way to school. I close my eyes for a second and when I open them I almost scream in terror.

            Instead, I let out a loud gasp that probably sounded like I was choking and caused several kids in front of me to turn around and glare at me. I continue to stare out the window, wondering how no one noticed a huge human glaring at our bus from across the street. At me, to be exact. I looked closer and realized maybe the creature wasn’t so human after all. I mean, it looked vaguely human but it was at least thirty feet tall and had stringy brown hair falling across its eyes. Correction, eye. It wore a long coat that, surprisingly, covered the creature’s entire body from the neck down.

            The creature didn’t do anything, it just stood there glaring at me from the sidewalk as the bus rolled by. I started to tremble in my seat and I wanted to pass out, but I couldn’t. I was paralyzed in fear. I blinked once and the monster was gone, leaving me feeling like I’d imagined the entire thing. I was starting to wonder if I was going crazy or if maybe this was just another side effect of the pills I have to take. I had to be hallucinating. Maybe this was just a dream, because I really wanted it to be.


	2. The Bully

            I was still a little freaked out from the hallucination when the bus pulls up to my school. I get off the bus last and stood there feeling dizzy. People walk past me on all sides and I felt like passing out. _Not here, not now._ I plead silently. I take a blind step forward and stumble into someone. They glare at me and push me into another person, creating a chain of people pushing me, one after another. Finally, I end up falling to my knees on the ground, dizzier than ever.

            “Well, well.” A familiar voice drawls. “What have we got here?”

            _Could this morning get any worse?_

            I look up into the eyes of Jasmine and her posse. She smirks down at me and her posse does the same.

            “How about a loser and her five little copycats?” I say sarcastically, standing up and trying to regain my balance.

            Jasmine frowns and her friends do the same. _Can I even say they’re her friends?_ I ask myself. _They just follow her around like lost puppies._

            “Awh, darling, it’s so cute how you think I’m the loser when we all know it’s you. You’re friendless and lonely aren’t you? We can be your friends, you know.” she fake sympathizes, a smirk plastered to her face.

            “I don’t need friends, and I definitely don’t need you.” I attempt to walk away but one of her copycats lashes out. Perfectly manicured nails dig into my skin, dragging me back. I instinctively yank my arm away in pain.

            “I’m sorry about that, sweetie. Carly here has no self-control, do you, Carls?” she fake frowns at the other girl. Carly looks at Jasmine like she just disappointed her. “We don’t want to scare away this reject now.” Jasmine scolds. Carly just nods.

            “Uh, yeah. Whatever. If you don’t mind, this ‘reject’ has class. So, buh-bye.” This time, they let me leave. I kept glancing back just to make sure they weren’t planning on ambushing me. _Why am I so paranoid today? Maybe my pills weren’t working. Maybe I’m becoming immune to their effects? What if I needed a larger dose? Would I still be able to function properly?_

            I walk into my science class and sit in the back. No one ever sits next to me so I propped my feet up on the chair next to me and leaned back in my seat trying to get the feeling of being watched out of my head. I tried paying attention in science, I really did, but how can I focus on how carboxyl groups bond to amino acids when I feel like something evil is lurking around me.

            “ _Alaina._ ” A voice whispers. I jerk my head sharply to the side, so sure someone had just whispered in my ear. “ _Over here._ ” The voice says again. I look in the other direction and see nothing.  My heart was pounding as I hear the voice laugh.

            “Stop it!” I stand up and shout, not realizing I was in the middle of class. Twenty heads snap back to look at me. I can feel myself pale under their stares. _Oh no, not now._ My heart rate increases drastically. _No, no, no, no, no._ My vision starts blurring over.

            “Miss Spearing, are you alright?” my teacher asks.

            “Fine. I’m fine.” I hear myself answer from a million miles away. I can’t even feel my body. _This can’t be happening._ I hear my teacher ask me again if I’m sure I’m okay. I didn’t reply. My vision goes black and all I could hear was screaming, and I didn’t realize it was me screaming.


	3. Must Be a Ghost

            I wake up in the nurse’s office, screaming bloody murder. I bolt upright as the nurse rushes over to push me back down.

            “No!” I fight against her.

            “Shhhh.” She says soothingly. “Everything’s alright. You just fainted in class, that’s all.”

            I finally calm down enough to realize I wasn’t in any immediate danger and relax a little.

            “I fainted?” I ask the nurse.

            She nods and replies, “Yes, dear, right in the middle of Chemistry.”

            “Did you…Have you called my mother yet?” I ask, begging she’d say no.

            “We don’t have any number to call.”

            Thank goodness for no cellphones.

            “Well, since I’m okay now, can I get back to class?”

            “Dear, classes are over. School finished half an hour ago.” She tells me slowly, like I’m a small child.

            “Oh.” I replied, feeling dumb. I should’ve known. “I guess I’ll just leave then. I’m    really sorry I made you have to stay late.” I say, feeling guilty.

            “Don’t worry, dearie. I stay late either way.” She answers sweetly.

            I don’t reply. I feel awkward as I grab my backpack and walk out of the nurse’s, waving goodbye at her. She smiles in return.

            I walk down the deserted hallways, wondering why they were empty. Usually, there were kids hanging out everywhere, but not today. Out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow move. _Great, just great._ I think sarcastically as I follow the movement. _Okay, so maybe this was a bad idea. Follow the shadow! That’s how you get killed, Alaina._  I think as I’m led deeper and deeper into the deserted school. The shadow passes through a door and I hesitate with my hand on the doorknob. _I really shouldn’t go in._ I open the door anyways, ignoring my brain screaming about how much of an idiot I am.

            I see nothing and I’m about to leave when the door slams shut behind me. I whirl around and see nothing. I try to open the door and it won’t budge. _Idiot!_ I scold myself. I turn around, back pressed against the door. I see the shadow. For some reason I felt all my fears rise to the surface and choke back down the terror that was creeping into my bones.

            The shadow started taking a vague human shape and I thought of the monster I’d seen earlier. _I really hope this isn’t the same monster._ I pray. I almost sob in relief when the shadow took on the image of a boy about my age. With a jolt, I realize it’s the same dark aura boy from my dream. He’s staring at me quizzically, and I wonder if he recognizes me from the dream too. Then I realize that’s dumb, because it was my dream and there’s no way this was real.

            “Who are you?” I ask, hesitantly.

            “Who are you?” he replies.

            “This isn’t funny, stop this.” I’m starting to panic again.

            “No one said it was.” He counters, a frown etched on his face.

            “Leave me alone!” I raise my voice, hoping someone would hear.

            “You’re the one that summoned me!” he replies, clearly angered now.

            “I didn’t summon you!” I shout back, the edges of my vision blackening. _Please, not again._

            “Then how am I able to appear here?” he asks coldly.

            “I don’t know! I don’t know who you are!” I’m beyond scared now. “I didn’t summon you, you led me to this room. You appeared in front of me! I didn’t do anything! Just leave me alone!” I screamed in panic, terror taking over my body.

 A strong gust of wind rushed around me, straight at the boy. I closed my eyes as I felt the wind whipping around my body. When it subsided, I felt incredibly weak and tired, but the boy was gone and somehow I still wasn’t relieved. I kept thinking maybe I’d just experienced a run in with a ghost. I couldn’t think of any other valid reason why some shadow would turn into a guy that could talk to me and accuse me of summoning him. That was the last thing I remember before blacking out for a second time.


	4. Really Messed Up Dreams

            I’m back in my Algebra class doodling in the margins of my notebook again. Except I have no idea what I’m drawing. It kind of resembles a sword, but I’m not sure. I’d never seen a real sword in my life so there’s no way I could draw one so precisely. The lighter aura boy is there next to me. He leans over my shoulder and looks at my drawing.

            “How are you able to draw Riptide so well?” he asks.

            I look at him in confusion.

            “What’s Riptide?” I ask.

            “Riptide, my sword.” He pulls out a pen.

            I stare at it like he’s joking. He twirls it around his finger and looks like he’s in deep thought. I keep waiting for him to say, ‘ _Got ya! This isn’t a sword! It’s just a pen.’_  Except it never comes.

            “Okay, I’ll bite.” I reply. “That’s a pen, dude. A pen.” I say slowly, enunciating the words ‘a pen’.

            He looks at me as if I’m the slow one. In a swift movement, the cap is thrown off the pen and it grows in size to a full length Greek sword. How I knew it was Greek, I don’t know. There’s Greek writing at the base and somehow I know it says ‘Riptide.’

            “I don’t think this is a pen.” He smirks.

            I shake my head.

            “Who are you? Why am I having dreams about you?” I ask.

            “I could ask you the same thing.” He replies lazily.

            “That doesn’t answer my question.” I say in exasperation.

            He shrugs like it’s not his fault I’m dreaming about him. All of a sudden the dream changes. I’m no longer in Algebra. I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down into darkness.

            “I wouldn’t jump if I were you. Unless, of course, you would enjoy a painful death.” I nearly fall over the edge at the sound of his voice. I whirl around so fast I get whiplash. It’s the dark aura boy again. He reaches out to steady me, then thinks better of it and retracts his hand.

            “Who are you?” I ask. “What is going on?” I fight back tears. _This isn’t fair._ I think, blinking away the tears. _No one said anything about playing fair._ A voice says in response. I look around wildly trying to find the source of the voice, wondering if I really was going crazy.

            The boy just stares at me, not answering. His aura was engulfing me in terror.

            “Why am I dreaming about you and the other boy?” I ask, panic evident in my voice. I get no response. He just stares at me, as if I’m some specimen under a microscope. His eyes watched my every move.

            “There’s something off about you…” he mutters.

            “Gee, thanks. You sure now how to talk to females, buddy.” I retort, fighting the overwhelming sense of dread I was feeling.

            His eyes played over my body and I felt self-conscious all of a sudden. _What is going on?_ I think. _Exactly what we want._ The voice says again.

            “Who are you!?” I shout, not sure who I was addressing. No one answered. _What a shocker._ I think bitterly. “Why aren’t you talking? I want to know what is happening to me. Am…am I going crazy? Are the meds doing this to me? Or is this what happens when I don’t take enough of them?” I ramble on, trying to calm my nerves.

            The boy stares at me curiously, as if I’d just said something that concerned him deeply.

            “Meds? You take medication?” he asks.

            “Yes.” I reply shortly.

            Something that might have been realization crosses his eyes.

            “Get away from the edge!” he shouts, but it’s too late. The ground underneath me gives way. I feel the sensation of falling and I jerk wide away, screaming once again.


	5. Emotional Rollercoaster

            It was dark when I got home. Just like I expected, my mother was pacing at the door. As soon as I got into the driveway, she flung open the door and rushed to me.

            “Oh my goodness, Alaina! Where in the hell were you!?” A range of emotions flew across her face. Relief, anger, sadness, terror. _Why would she be afraid? Oh, that’s right. School ended about six hours ago and I was now just coming home._

            “I’m fine, mom.” I replied. I noticed her face looked like she’d aged ten years since the time when I’d left for school. “I just blacked out….a couple of times.”

            Suddenly my mother looked even more terrified then before. Her eyes darted around the yard as if she expected something to come rushing at us.

            “Let’s go inside and talk.” She suggested and rushed me inside our house. She immediately locked the door and windows. Steering me into the kitchen and pushing me rather roughly into a chair. She pulled the blinds closed and sat down across from me. She fiddled with her bracelet like she does when she’s nervous. I remained motionless.

            We sat in silence for a few minutes before she finally looked up at me, her eyes filled with fear. Fear that was unknown to me.

            “Tell me everything, Alaina. _Everything._ Don’t you dare leave out one detail.” She demands. Her eyes locking on mine. So I told her everything. From the first dream to the bus ride to school to the first blackout to following the shadow and finally waking up screaming in the classroom.

            She started muttering under her breath and got up. She paced around the kitchen. I just watched. Occasionally, she would ask me questions.

            “You did take you meds this morning, right?”

            “You watched me take them, mom.”

            There was silence as she paced even more around the kitchen, muttering under her breath, too low for me to hear.

            “You said there were two of them?”

            “Yeah, I only saw two unless there were more hiding from my vision.” I retort, growing impatient.

            My mother paces more and I wonder if she’s going to end up pacing so much she makes her own rut straight into our kitchen floor.

            “What did they look like?” I couldn’t answer that question, I never got a good look at them. I was always too focused on being terrified and not blacking out.

            “Maybe we should up your dosage?” she suggested to herself. “No,” she frowned. “That might be too much.” She paced around the kitchen again.

            “Mom, what does all this mean? Is it because of the meds? Or…or am I just going insane?” I whispered the last part, scared she might send me off to an asylum.

            She looked at me with sad eyes. She returned to her seat across from me and gripped my hand.

            “No. No, Alaina. You’re not crazy. I promise, baby.” She tried to reassure me, but I still felt like it was my fault this was all happening.

            “Then what is wrong with me?” I pleaded. She looked at me with sorrowful eyes and I wondered what exactly she wasn’t telling me.

            “Maybe you should stay home tomorrow?” she suggested. “It might just be stress causing you to hallucinate.”

            As tempting as the offer was, I shook my head.

            “I don’t think its stress, mom.” I say. “I think…I think it’s something different. Something is wrong with me, something you aren’t telling me.”

            Her eyes filled with tears and I knew she was holding back information about me.

            “It is me, isn’t it?” I ask, my throat tightening. She shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes. She gripped my hand tighter and a shudder went through her body. She exhaled softly. “Is it about dad then?” I pressed. _Maybe I’m going a little too far._ I thought.

            She looked away at that.

            “Mom, what are you not telling me?” my voice was slightly raised.

            Thunder rattled the windows and rain slammed against the panes. My mother jumped at the sound.

            “Looks like the storm is starting again. I think it’s time to go to bed, Alaina. We’ve both had a long, emotional day.” I knew my mother was dodging the subject, but who could blame her. She looked out the window before asking me,

            “Are you sure you want to go into school tomorrow?”

            “Yes.” I reply softly. Maybe it was for the better, maybe not.

            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

            I didn’t have any dreams, which I was thankful for. Once I woke up, I peeked out the blinds and saw rain clouds hanging low in the sky. Even through the window, I could feel the air outside was thick and full of anticipation. As if it knew something bad was going to happen. _Maybe I should stay home._ I push the doubt away and get dressed for the day.

            I dressed in an old faded t-shirt that had some band’s logo on it that I could no longer remember, dark black jeans, and laced up black leather boots. I threw on a navy blue hoodie and grabbed my backpack. Shrugging it on my shoulder as I walk downstairs.

            Like yesterday, my mother is humming under her breath as she makes me breakfast. She has my pills laid out on the counter. There were four this time instead of two. My throat tightens.

            “Mom, aren’t the pills supposed to stop what’s happening to me? What if I’m becoming immune to them?” I ask, hesitantly.

            She turns to look at me and I know instantly that she had barely slept last night. There were dark circles under her eyes and her eyes were puffy and tinged red, as if she’s been crying all night. I looked away, staring at the pills again, in fear that she’ll just break down. She doesn’t answer me, just places a plate in front of me as I slip into a chair.

            She stares out the window as she says,

            “I don’t think you should go to school today.” She turns to me.

            I stare at her, wondering why she’s persisting I stay home.

            “I’m going mom.” I state. I push the plate away from me. I was so not hungry. My mom frowns. She places my pills in front of me. I’m tempted to throw them out, but instead I pick them up and swallow them. I lay my head on the table.

            My mind was numb. I didn’t want to go to school, but it was better than having my mother hang around me every second. She stays silent, but I know she’s staring at me. I feel like death was hanging over my head. _Maybe I should stay home_... Before I convinced myself that was a good idea, I stood up making my mom jump.

            “I’m just going to go wait for the bus.” I mutter.

            My mom nods and follows me out. As soon as I was outside, cool wind rushed over my body. I pull my hood over my head, trying to hide. _From what though?_ My mom follows me silently as I lead the way to the bus stop down the street. We wait in silence for ten minutes before my mother speaks.

            “Alaina,” she says hesitantly. I glance over at her. She looks scared and extremely sad. “I love you, sweetheart.” She finally says. I look down.

            “I love you too, mom.” I reply. The bus turns the corner and stops in front of me. Before I get on, I run into her arms. She holds me tight and I can feel her body shaking. I wasn’t sure if she was crying or not. “I’m sorry, mom. I’m so sorry for all the trouble I keep causing. I-I’ll try harder, I promise.” I sob into her hair.

            “Oh, baby.” She says, pulling away. “You haven’t caused any trouble. You’ve been perfect.”

            She cries silently as I get on the bus. I ignore the stares people are giving me and head to my usual seat in the back of the bus. I close my eyes and keep them closed until the bus comes to a permanent stop in front of the school.


	6. Fight or Flight

I’m the last one off the bus and I rush into the building, desperate to get away from people.

            This time I don’t black out in Chemistry though I can feel everyone’s eyes shifting back to me as if they expect it to happen at any moment. _To hell with you all._ I think bitterly. When the bell rings, I happily rush to the door. Leaving behind the room filled with cruel teens.

            Already the news of me passing out in Chemistry has spread around the school. Everywhere I went people pointed at me and whispered. I roll my eyes as some freshman gossip loudly about me as I pass by. This continues the entire day and by last block, I was ready to ditch school. Except, last block was Algebra and part of me wanted to know if my dreams held any truth while the other part knew they were only dreams.

            I take a deep breath before walking into the classroom. I was the first one in there so I headed to the back of the class. I was trembling slightly as everyone filed into the room. Once the bell rung, I felt relieved. Neither boy had shown up, it _was_ all in my imagination. Just as the lecture was about to start, the classroom door bursts open. All heads snapped to face the door where none other than Jasmine herself was standing.

            “Mrs. Joseph,” Jasmine says. “The principal wants to see Alaina.”

            All eyes turned towards me. Jasmine was staring at me with a weird expression on her face. I found it odd that she was by herself. Usually her copycats were around.

            “Alright, you’re excused Alaina.” The teacher says. I stand up.

            “Don’t forget your bag.” Jasmine says. I stop and pick it up, unsure why I wouldn’t be returning. I followed Jasmine out of the classroom and down a hallway. She was leading me in the opposite direction of the office.

            “Uh, we’re going the wrong way. The principal’s office is back that way.” I say pointing behind me.

            Jasmine scoffs.

            “Like the principal wants to see you. No, we’re just going through a detour.” She says. I feel slightly unrestful as I follow her.

            “Why, and what do you mean he doesn’t want to see me? Isn’t that why you called me out of class?”

            Jasmine turns and faces me. She has a weird expression on her face. In a second it’s gone and she just smirks. She flips her hair over her shoulder as she turns around.

            “Just follow me, reject.” She demands and keeps walking.

            I stop. I don’t know why, but I had a feeling I should not be following her.

            “No.” I say.

            She whips around to glare at me.

            “No?” she asks, astonished.

            “I believe that’s what I said.” I fold my arms over my chest, defiantly.

            Jasmine slowly turns to face me. If looks could kill, then I’d be dead right now.

            “You _will_ come with me if you know what’s good for you.” She says forcefully.

            “Who said anything about me knowing what’s good for me?” I retort. I turn on my heel and walk away, heading towards the stairwell. I’m about to take a step when suddenly one of Jasmine’s friends appears in front of me.

            “What the?” I say, taken aback. I stumble backwards. I turn around and realize I’m surrounded. Jasmine is standing right in front of me.

            “I told you to follow me, but obviously you’re just as stubborn as your parents.” Jasmine growls.

            “My parents?” I ask. “My dad is dead. He died before I was born.”

            Jasmine laughs at my confused expression.

            “Silly little mortal reject.” She sneers. “You have no idea who you are, do you? Did mommy keep all the good little secrets from you?” She looks over my shocked state. “Huh, I guess she did.”

            I can’t move. I wanted to run away, but one of her lackeys was blocking the stairwell the rest had me surrounded. My heart race increased and I knew within minutes I’d pass out.

            “What…what do you want from me?” I ask.

            Jasmine smiles cruelly at me, her posse does the same.

            “Well, darling, I wanted you to come with us peacefully, but you don’t want to so I’ll settle for your demise.”

            I open my mouth to respond but Jasmine shoves me roughly. I fall backwards, apparently her lackey had moved. I tried reaching for the railing but missed. I tumbled down the stairs landing on the corner of the landing. My vision darkened before coming into a hazy focus. I could barely see, but I knew Jasmine was walking slowly down the stairs.

            I try and crawl away but I feel pain shoot up my arm. I cry out in pain. My vision darkens again. I could feel myself panicking. I want to pass out. My vision clears slightly and I see a dark shadow looming over me. I can’t tell who it is though.

            “Get her to safety!” a male voice shouts.

            Someone grabs my shoulder roughly.

            “Up you go.” Another voice says.

            I stand up dizzy. I could feel my entire world closing in. _Why does this always happen at the worst possible time?_  I shake my head trying to regain my balance. I hear the sounds of a battle, but it seems far off. When my vision finally clears I see Jasmine staring at me.

            “Good to see you’re up and walking, reject.” She sneers.

            I back away slowly but don’t get too far before I back myself into the railing.

            “Looks like you have nowhere to go.” She mocks. Another girl walks down the stairs smiling evilly at me.

            “Uh….” I stall, looking around desperately for an escape.

 I see three different battles going on around me, which doesn’t make any sense. There was a blonde guy down in the courtyard I didn’t recognize. He was fighting with some sort of spear. A dark haired boy was on the landing above me. He turns slightly as he arcs his sword towards one of Jasmine’s friend’s chest and I realize he is one of the boys from my dream, the one with the lighter aura. I glance hastily towards the boy fighting on the landing below me and realize he must be the other boy, the one with the darker aura.

            I look back at Jasmine and she’s still staring at me. My vision is rapidly fading and I feel the terror trying to consume me. I fight against it.

            “Let’s see how long it takes for you to be extra crispy.” She says.

            I look at her in confusion and then shock as her body begins to mold with the girl next to her. I watch in horror as the other three girls all appear next to the first two. They merge into one body and in a flash of blinding light I am no longer looking at five girls, instead a five headed dragon is glaring down at me. I feel my knees give way and I fall to the ground. I back myself as far up against the railing as I can.

            The three boys suddenly all rush around me, or rather, one floats on the wind it seems. They all stand in front of me protectively, weapons at the ready.

            “Uh, Nico.” One says. “Now would be a good time to shadow travel her away.”

            There wasn’t time for a response, the dragon turns its middle head towards me. The head pulls back and I have this strange feeling something bad is about to happen. All of a sudden, I’m thrown backwards and for the second time I’m tumbling down the stairs. This time a guy is holding onto me. I barely have time to realize it’s the blonde kid before a huge explosion takes place in the spot I’d been in seconds before.

            “Stay put.” He demands before bounding up the stairs. _Yeah, like I need to be told twice._ He runs back up the stairs to join the others. One is trying to deflect two heads at once. Both heads are spitting acid at him and his clothes have several holes in them from where the acid has already hit.

            The other boy is taking on the head that breathes fire. He dodges each blast the dragon attempts. The last boy is fighting what seems like a losing battle against the last two heads.

            “What is that thing?” I shout. All five of its heads turn to face me, making it easy for the lighter aura boy to chop the middle head off.

            “Percy, you idiot!” the blonde boy screams.

            “Shut up, Jason.” He replies.

            I watch in horror as two heads grow back in the spot the boy had just cut.

            “It was a hydra, Percy!” the darker aura boy cries out. “You can’t cut their heads off. Two grow back instead of one!”

            “Did you want to be burnt to a crisp, Nico? Cause that’s what was going to happen!” The first boy shouts back in irritation.

            I see the heads rear back in anticipation.

            “Watch out!” I scream pointing at the dragon.

            They turn but I realize it’s too late. They’re about to be fried alive. Wind rushes around me and I notice the rain clouds were swiftly approaching thunder shakes the sky and lightning flashes, blinding everything in a white light, the dragon seems to be in disarray. This gives the boys the push they needed to get the hell out of the way.

            When the flash ended the boys were scattered and six girls stood in the place where the dragon had been moments before. Even scarier, there were now two of Jasmine. Both of them walking towards me slowly. I looked around for help, but each boy was distracted trying to stay alive fighting off the other girls.

            I stand up, my vision darkening. I was bruised, tired, and on the verge of blacking out. My heart was racing so fast I felt like it was just going to stop at any moment. The two Jasmines sneered. Their faces identical. _Think fast child, you only have seconds._ A male voice advises me. Except, there’s nothing I can do.

            I look around wildly. _There has to be some escape._ The Jasmines were within ten feet of me now. My body thought on its own accord and I bolted to the left. I only got about twenty feet before searing pain raced from my left arm all the way down my body. I was jerked back and thrown to the ground.

            I groaned and rolled away quickly. A heavy studded boot coming down where my head had been seconds ago. I stumble up on my feet and take off running again. I glance at my arm and I see five long scratches where Jasmine’s nails had dug in. My arm was bleeding and turning an ugly greenish color as poison started seeping into it.

            I didn’t know how much longer I could last. I was barely able to keep from blacking out. I run blindly down the hallway, the sounds of the battle fading. I could hear the sound of heavy boots following me and I ran harder. Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet disappears and I roll onto asphalt. I try and get up but one of the girls kicks me back down.

            I turn over on my back and stare up at the two Jasmines. They sneer down at me. One of them presses her boot pressed on my chest, pinning me down.

            “So this is how you’re going to die.” They say in unison. “Any last words?”

            Suddenly, the other four girls appear beside them and they start to mold together again. I don’t even try to fight back now. I’m too tired and too scared. I’m about to just give up when I see a dark form rushing towards us. The Jasmine’s didn’t notice. My vision is darkening and I find it in myself to fight against the blackness, if only for a few minutes.

            The shadow forms into a human and it’s the darker aura boy from before. He raises his sword just as the girls are almost completely transformed back into the dragon. In a swift movement he brings the swords down straight through the heart of the dragon girls and inches from my own chest. I watch paralyzed as the creature’s faces all contort in pain. It explodes into dust that rains down on me and my vision quickly turns dark.

            The last thing I see is the boy reaching out to help me up, lightning flashing behind him. The last thing I feel is his hand connecting to my arm. I scream in pain, though I don’t know why. The last thing I remember is falling into darkness, letting it consume my body completely. I don’t even have the will to fight against it.


	7. Dreams, Voices, and Curly-Haired Boys, Oh My!

            I’m walking behind the dark aura boy through a field of people. The majority of them are just milling around, doing nothing. The boy was wearing a black overcoat and walking towards a girl with curly cinnamon brown hair and dark skin. A sword was hanging at his side.

            “You’re different.” He says to her. “A child of Pluto. You remember your past.”

            “Yes.” The girl says. “And you’re alive.”

            The boy studies her and I stand off to the side, staring at the scene. He opens his mouth to speak again, but the scene in front of me shifts.

            A girl and a young boy were standing by bleachers. I didn’t know how could tell they were siblings but it made sense since they both had dark silky hair and olive skin. The girl was using her hands a lot as she talked to the boy as if she was scolding him. He was shuffling cards in his hands and his sister kept looking around like something was wrong.

            I try to get closer to hear their conversation but the scene shifts and I’m standing behind a pillar with the boy with the lighter aura standing next to me. He looks younger this time, probably about my age and the boy from the previous scene is peaking out behind the pillar, trying to listen in on a conversation.

            The girls they were spying on leave and the young boy was about to run after them.

            “Wait.” The lighter aura boy says, taking off a cap.

            The younger boy spins around and almost slips on ice.

            “Where did you come from?”

            “I’ve been here the whole time. Invisible.”

            He looks astonished as he stares at the slightly older boy.

            “Wow. Cool.”

            “How did you know Zoe and your sister were here?” the older boy asks.

            The younger boy blushes.

            “I heard them walk by the Hermes cabin. I don’t…I don’t sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps and them whispering. And so I kind of followed.”

            “And now you’re thinking about following them on the quest.” The older boy guesses.

            The scene shifts again. I’m standing in a room with a bunch of people when I hear a knock on the door. Everyone’s heads turn to the door as it bursts open and the younger boy runs in, his cheeks red from the cold.

            “Hey! Where’s…where’s my sister?” he asks, confused.

            Everyone glances at one another. The boy from before stands up and says,

            “Hey, Nico. Let’s take a walk, okay? We need to talk.”

            I attempt to follow them out, but when I walk through the door I fall into nothingness. I scream loudly, but there’s nothing I can do. I keep falling into the darkness.

            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

            I wake up screaming. I choke on tears I didn’t know I was crying. I bolted from the bed I’d been lying in. I felt like I was being chased, chased by ghosts that weren’t even mine. I run blindly and push past people. They try and stop me, but I shove them away. I was desperate to get away from everything. I somehow make it outside and I can’t seem to take in the scenery. I run blindly down a path as I hear people shouting at me.

            I don’t know where I am and I don’t know why I’m here. All I know is I have to find a way out. I don’t even realize where I’m going until I crash into someone, stumbling backwards. My head hits the ground hard and I nearly black out. My vision is strained and I feel pure terror filling my bones, making it hard to breathe.

            “Hey, are you alright there?” a voice asks. I try and focus on a face. A curly haired boy is staring down at me. He reaches down to help me up and I scream in panic.

            “No! Don’t touch me!” I shout before blacking out once more.

            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

_“Father of light, Mother of dark. A quest of failure, soon to embark.”_

            A female voice sings, melancholy. I turn around, trying to find the voice. It seemed to be resonating around me.

_“Silly girl with a heart of gold, Soon to be turned cold. Will your friends still love you after all you’ll do? Or will they turn away and leave you too?”_

“Stop it!” I cry out. Turning blindly in the darkness of my dream. Laughter echoes around me.

_“Father of light, Mother of dark, Soon, young girl you’ll bear their mark.”_

“What are you talking about?” I shout at no one. Booming laughter answers me.

_“Until then, the fates await; The horrors of your soul he too shall hate. Young child, foolish child, a hero soon to die. All to have started with a little white lie.”_

The voice finishes and dies off.

“What do you mean by this? What does any of this mean?” I scream in frustration. I get no response. My world starts spinning and I scream at the top of my lungs, trying to relieve the intense pressure I feel. I keep screaming until I wake up.

~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

I wake up in the same place as before screaming still. I attempt to bolt out of the room, but someone restrains my arms. I fight against them.

“Let me go!” I shout, panicking. I try and get up when something pins my chest to the bed. I’m forced to lay still, though I struggle under the new weight.

“Hey, hey, look at me. Everything’s okay. You’re fine. Come on. Just look at me, focus on my face.” A male voice says.

I try and fight against him, but he talks softly and keeps his hold on me. Finally, I look at him. He’s the same boy I’d run into earlier. He has my arms pinned above my head and his knee in restraining my chest.

I try to relax, so I end up analyzing his face. He had curly brown hair and tan skin. He looked Hispanic and he has warm brown eyes. He started humming softly under his breath as I relax, finally realizing I wasn’t in any immediate danger. I notice he has a smear of what looks like grease across his right cheek and soot in his hair.

“Are you calm now?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. I exhale.

“I’m not calm, but I won’t try to run.” I say.

He nods and releases my arms and climbs off of me.

“Sorry about that.” He says awkwardly. I sit up.

“It’s okay.” I respond quickly, trying to make it less awkward.

“So…what happened to you out there?” he asks. I stare at him. He looks concerned.

“I blacked out.” I say simply. I look around the room, but not taking in anything I see.

“There’s more to it than that.” He states. I look at him, my head tilted slightly to one side. He’s staring at me like he’s trying to figure out how my mind works.

“You’re right.” I reply. He waits as if I’m going to say more, but I don’t.

“I’m Leo Valdez, by the way.” He says, holding his hand out.

I stare at his hand. I’m afraid any physical contact will send me off the deep end again. I can’t tell if Leo is testing this theory or not either. Eventually I take his hand.

“Alaina. Alaina Spearing.” I say, shaking his hand. Before our hands pulled away I see a vision of a little kid in some sort of warehouse maybe. Smoke is filling the room and the kid is screaming. I instantly pull my hand back and look away. I can’t tell if he notices the movement or not. If he did, he doesn’t bring it up.

“Well then, Alaina.” He smiles widely, a smile that screams he’s up to something mischievous. “Let’s get you to Chiron. I’m sure he and everyone else would love to meet you.”

I attempt to stand up and nearly collapse. Leo grabs me around the waist quickly and I protest, but he helps me stand. When I’m able to stand up without any help, Leo throws his arm around my shoulder.

“Let’s go, Lightning.” He smiles.

“Lightning?” I ask.

“Yeah. When you passed out in the middle of camp, lightning flashed outside the borders. I figured it may have had something to do with you being here.” He shrugs. “Or not, it could just be a coincidence.” He adds, seeing the look on my face.

“Where is here exactly?” I ask.

“Camp Half-Blood.” Leo replies. I stare at him quizzically. “Come on, Chiron can explain everything better than I can.”

Leo steers me out of the room and down a hallway. We walk down stairs and Leo stops at a door.

“Introducing…..” he stalls. “Our beloved camp counselors!” Leo calls out in a booming voice. He throws open the door and all heads turn to face us.


	8. Questions and Answers

Leo grabs my hand and leads me into the room.

“Hey guys! Meet the newbie, Alaina.” He smiles widely. My eyes immediately focus in on three boys all sitting next to each other. As soon as I walked in they turn to each other and start whispering, as if in a deep argument. I felt anger boil in me.

“What is going on?” I demand. The three of them turn to face me. “I want answers. Why in the name of hell was I kidnapped and brought here? My mother is probably freaking out right now.”

“I think you mean, ‘Why in the name of _Hades_ were you kidnapped.’” A girl with red hair and a bunch of freckles across her face says absentmindedly spinning her blue hair brush on the table. She didn’t look up at me when she spoke. I was too stunned to respond. She glances at me after a minute of silence and then turns to the lighter aura boy and says, “Percy, this is all on you. Please enlighten us all.”

The lighter aura boy pales and mutters something unintelligible under his breath.

“Well, you’re all _so_ helpful.” I sneer.

“Alaina, maybe you should calm down…” Leo suggests to me.

“No, she has every right to be angry. We _did_ kidnap her after all. She probably has no idea what’s going on, let alone who she is.” The darker aura boy responds. He absently spins a black sword around on the table too.

“We should wait for Chiron before we do anything.” A blonde girl states. She’s sitting next to the lighter aura boy, who has his arm draped over her shoulders, so I assume she must be his girlfriend. She stares at me in an analytical way. As if she was trying to break down my being piece by piece. I turn away from her gaze.

“Who’s Chiron? Who are any of you?” I ask as I look around the room, my voice betrays my emotions and breaks on the last word. Suddenly, everyone’s faces turn sympathetic.

“We’re all demigods, like you.” A girl with chocolate brown hair, cut choppily and braided along the sides, and brown eyes says, soothingly. She’s sitting next to the blonde boy from earlier. I almost relax at her words, until I realized I was being influenced to relax.

“Stop that.” I snap at her. She looks shocked. “I don’t need to be influenced to calm down. I need answers.”

No one speaks and this irritates me even more. They’re all just staring at me.

“Well?” I prompted, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Patience child. All of your questions will be answered to the best of our abilities.” A new voice says. I turn around to see a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and a scruffy beard in a wheelchair in the doorway. He has kind but intense brown eyes which makes me think he’s wiser than he portrays.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“My name is Chiron. May I ask who you are?” he talks gently to me and I instantly feel bad for being so demanding.

“Alaina. My name is Alaina.” I say softly. Leo pulls me closer to him, as if he’s already protective of me, which is crazy since I don’t even know him.

“Well then, Alaina, why don’t you take a seat and we will discuss the matters at hand.”

I don’t know why, but something about him is calming. I relax a little and Leo gently grabs my hand and leads me to two empty seats at the Ping-Pong table. He puts his arm around back around me protectively.

Chiron wheels himself to the head of the table next to the red head girl. He stares at me for a moment before asking,

“Now Alaina, what is it you are confused about?”

I exhale sharply. “Everything. What is this place? Why was I brought here? What happened back at my school? Who are you people? What am I going to tell my mother?” Once the questions started, I couldn’t stop asking them.

“Slow down, child.” Chiron says calmly. “The place that you are referring to is Camp Half-Blood. A home for those such as all of you at this table.”

“Camp Half-Blood? Where exactly is Camp Half-Blood located? What do you mean by people like me though?” I ask confused.

“Our camp is located on the Long Island sound and we’re a home for half-bloods, demigods. I presume you understand the term.” He raises an eyebrow in a questioning way.

“Yeah, half mortal, half god.” I say absently. “So, you’re telling me one of my parents is a god? That can’t be true. They don’t exist. They’re just myths made up by the Greeks to explain things like creation.” A kid snorted across the table and his brother elbowed him.

“One of your parents is a god or goddess, depending on which parent you’ve never known. The gods and goddesses do exist, child.” Chiron replies.

“No. My mom is human. Pure mortal, and my dad died overseas before I was even born. You have the wrong person here. I don’t even know how you found me, I’m from Florida which is like a thousand miles away from Long Island. How did I even get here?" I shake my head in disbelief.

Chiron stares at me quizzically but doesn’t answer.

“Chiron, she’s definitely a demigod. She has a strong aura, I can _feel_ it.” The darker aura boy says from across the table. I sit up straighter.

“You can see auras too?” I ask. He looks shocked, so do a bunch of the kids at the table.

“You see auras?” he asks me.

“Yeah, I mean you’re radiating a strong dark aura right now.” I point out. I turn to the other boy, the lighter aura one. “He radiates a strong aura too, except his is lighter.” I furrow my brow. “You also radiate a strong aura,” I say, pointing at the blonde one. “It’s strong, but not as strong as theirs.” I say. I feel Leo drop his arm from my shoulder.

“Chiron…” the dark aura boy says, his tone edgy. Chiron just looks troubled by this information. I fidget uncomfortably.

“Alaina, do you have ADHD? Or dyslexia?” Chiron asks.

“No. My mother tested me for both of them when I was in fourth grade, but the results came back negative…why do you ask?”

“Most demigods exhibit ADHD and dyslexia characteristics.” The blonde girl states like I should have known this fact.

“So your mother knew your father was a god if she tested you for ADHD.” Another boy says. He hadn’t said anything up until now, I notice he has blond hair and blue eyes.

“My father died _before_ I was born. He was mortal.” I protest.

“Did your mom ever talk about him? Did she even have a picture of him to show you?” the blonde girl says fiercely.

“She never talked about him. It made her sad so I didn’t press the subject. I caused her enough grief by just being alive anyway, I didn’t want to make her life harder.” I snap in defense, hurt by her words. “And she _did_ keep a picture of him. She had it hanging on the mantle at home.”

She stares at me like I’m lying and I want to shout at her. Leo squeezes my shoulder, a subtle gesture to calm down.

“I’m not lying.” I state.

“We don’t think you are, it seems that your mother wasn’t being completely truthful with you though.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“As Nico said, you do radiate power. So you must be a demigod, but as of right now you are undetermined.” Chiron says.

“Which means no one knows who my ‘godly’ parent is.” I say sarcastically. “Great, another thing to add to the list of things that make me even more of a freak.”

“You’re not a freak, you’re a demigod. You don’t fit in with the mortal world because you belong here, at camp. We teach you how to fight and harness your powers here.” The lighter aura boys says gently. “I know you don’t understand right now, believe me we’ve all been there, but you’ll learn.”

I shake my head. “I _don’t_ belong here though. This doesn’t feel right.”

“Just wait until your dad claims you, you’ll start to fit in right away.” The blonde boy says.

I nod, trying to believe their words. _Or it could make me even more of an outsider._ I think bitterly.

“Question though, if the gods did exist, wouldn’t I have noticed? Wouldn’t the mortals have noticed something? Wouldn’t…wouldn’t my dad have said something, ya know?” I ask nervously, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Everyone seems to have daddy issues.” A new voice says. I didn’t notice the girl before because she hadn’t seemed to have been paying attention. She had light brown hair and brown eyes that glowed with an angry light. She was spinning a dagger, point down, on the table.

“Okay, so if my dad _is_ a god, then what about all of you?” I ask.

Leo answers first, “Well, I’m the son of Hephaestus, god of-”

“I know all about the gods and goddesses.” I state, interrupting him. “I had to study them in middle school, plus my mom kept a bunch of books on Greek mythology in our attic.”

The blonde girl leaned forward at this.

“Your mom kept books on Greek mythology locked away? She _had_ to have known who your father was then.” She says.

“She never told me if she did.” I say. The girl looks skeptical of this information.

“Well, I’m Annabeth, daughter of Athena.” She replies airily.

“Goddess of wisdom. Isn’t she one of the maiden goddesses though? How is she able to have children?” I ask.

“Oh, that’s an interesting tale.” The boy next to her says.

“Can it, Stoll.” Annabeth says, elbowing him.

“I’m Travis Stoll,” he says. “And this is my brother Connor.” He adds indicating the boy sitting next to him.

“That kid sleeping over there? Yeah, he’s Clovis, son of Hypnos.” Connor adds.

“I’m Will Solace, son of Apollo.” the blonde boy with blue eyes who’d spoken before states.

“Rachel Elizabeth Dare.” The red head introduces herself softly. She’s staring at her brush still, not looking up at anyone. “I’m not a daughter of any god, but I do possess the spirit of Delphi, Apollo’s oracle.” A shudder runs down my spine at her words. I turn to the next girl.

“Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares.” The girl who was twirling the dagger mutters, clearly uninterested in our conversation.

“Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite.” The girl from earlier who’d tried to influence me to calm down says. She was staring at me weirdly. I look away, feeling self-conscious.

“Uh, I’m afraid the three of us never got introduced formally back at your school.” The blonde boy says. “I’m Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, or Zeus as the Greeks say.”

“You’re not a son of the Greek god?” I ask, confused. He looks uncomfortable.

“Uh, no, not exactly. My father was Zeus in his Roman form. So I’m a son of Jupiter.”

“Great, so the gods have multiple forms.” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Yeah, kinda. There’s also another camp, specific to Roman demigods.” He adds.

“That explains _everything_.” I say sarcastically. Jason looks away, clearly embarrassed.

“No need for sarcasm.” The lighter aura boy says.

“You’re one to talk, Percy.” Travis calls out.

“Well, what about you? Who are you?” I challenge him.

“Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.” He states as if he gets asked the same question a hundred times a day.

There was a pause. “That’s it? That’s not such a big deal.” I say.

“Uh, Alaina right? Percy’s kind of a big deal here at camp…” Will says.

I glance at Percy, giving him a once over. “He doesn’t seem any different than the rest of us.” I state.

The dark aura kid laughs without humor and everyone looks surprised by this motion.

“You haven’t seen him in action, Percy is without a doubt _the_ strongest demigod I’ve ever met. That anyone’s ever met for that matter.” He states, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat. I take in the fact that he seems to have a slight accent, actually thinking about it, the majority of the kids sitting around the table had different accents.

Percy looks embarrassed by this claim.

“Well, how about you then? What’s your story?” I ask the dark aura boy, my heart racing slightly as I wait for his answer.

“Me?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. I nod in return. “I’m Nico di Angelo, and that’s about all you need to know about me. Now, if we’re done here, I have something I need to attend to.” He states, standing up.  No one bothered to stop him as he walks out the door. _Well then,_ I think to myself. _Consider this challenge accepted._


	9. The Iris-Message

            Everyone’s silent as he leaves the room. The door shuts quietly behind him. I feel like everyone in the room was holding their breath.

            “Is he always like that?” I ask, breaking the silence.

            “Not always, but lately Nico’s been acting weird…or well, weirder than usual. You can never tell with him.” Leo rambles.

            “And no one’s concerned about that?” I question.

            “Of course we’re concerned, Nico’s just one of those kids that doesn’t talk about anything to anyone. It’s kind of hard to just be around him.” Percy says.

            I shake my head. “That’s a lame excuse. He probably just needs a friend.”

            “We _are_ his friends. He just doesn’t think so.” Jason replies.

            “Well, maybe you all should try harder at being his friend then.” I say stubbornly.

            “Alaina, you don’t get it. He doesn’t want to be our friend, we’re still going to be there for him and all, Nico just doesn’t care.” Will interjects.

            I’m about to respond when Chiron clears his voice from the head of the table.

            “Alaina, you mentioned something about your mother?” he inquires.

            “Oh goodness! Yes! She’s probably worried sick since I didn’t come home yesterday after school.” Everyone is silent. I look around the room. “It was only yesterday…right?” I ask.

            No one would meet my eyes. Finally, Leo spoke up.

            “Alaina, it was yesterday when you passed out the second time…The first time, you were out for almost five days.” Leo says gently. I take in that information.

            “That can’t be right. I’ve never blacked out for more than a day.” I look around at their faces, a lot of them are sympathetic and some of them were just emotionless. “I _couldn’t_ have been unconscious for six days.” I say a little louder.

            “Alaina, please calm down.” Chiron says gently.

            “My mom…my mother, she’s probably worried out of her mind right now! I can’t just calm down!” I’m practically shouting. “I-I need to talk to her.”

            “Chiron, can she Iris-message her mother?” Percy asks.

            Chiron thinks it over for a minute before saying, “I suppose she could. Come along, Alaina.” He rolls his wheelchair out of the room and I immediately stand up to follow him.

            Leo grabs my hand and stands up too.

            “Do you need someone there…like just in case?” he asks softly.

            I shake my head. “I appreciate the offer, but I should be okay once I’m able to talk to my mother.” Leo nods and lets go of my hand. I feel everyone’s eyes watching me as I leave. I follow Chiron down the hallway until he stops in front of an open door.

            He wheels his chair around to face me.

            “I’ll instruct you on how to set up an Iris-message to your mother and then I’ll be down the hall if you need anything.” He says kindly. I nod.

            “How is this…this Iris-messaging thing going to work though? My mom doesn’t have any phone to call.” I say softly.

            “I’ll show you.” He replies and wheels himself into the room. I follow behind him.

            He wheels himself over to a small fountain on a desk. He places two gold coins on the desk next to prism. He wheels around to face me again.

            “These coins are gold drachmas, I’m going to assume that you know what they are seeing as you seem to know about Greek mythology.”

            I only nod in response.

            “You direct this prism into the waterfall to make a rainbow.” He shows me and a small rainbow appears within the waterfall. “Then you toss a coin into the rainbow and ask for the goddess Iris to accept your offering. If she does, the coin will disappear and you just have say the name and address of the person you wish to speak to. Their face should appear in the waterfall and you may speak for five minutes to them. I’ve placed a second drachma on the table so that you may have ten minutes.”

            His eyes were sympathetic and I fidgeted under his gaze. I didn’t want the sympathy or the pity. I just wanted to be normal.

            “Now that you know the essentials, I will be down the hall.” Chiron says softly. I nod, afraid to speak. I watch as he wheels himself from the room and then I turn back to the fountain. The prism is still creating a rainbow within the water. I pick up a drachma, I hold onto it for a minute before tossing it into the water.

            “Iris, goddess of the rainbow, if you can hear me…I’d-I’d like for you to accept this offering…” I felt dumb talking to myself but the coin didn’t reappear so I assumed she accepted it. “Uh, Penelope Spearing.” I say and ramble off our home address.

            For a moment nothing happened and I just held my breath. The water started moving and I could start to see my house.

            “Uh, thanks Iris.” I say. The image focused in on my mother. She was at the kitchen sink staring out the window. I could see storm clouds were gathered in the sky outside, making everything look dark, cold, and gray. I could see my mother’s hair had more gray in it than blonde. I almost started crying right then.

            “Mom…” I say, my voice full of emotion. She whirls around and I almost start bawling. Her eyes were surrounded by dark circles as if she hadn’t slept in years, her face was full of creases and her eyes were dark and unreadable. When she saw me though, her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

            “Alaina.” She said. I could hear the relief in her voice. _Had she thought I was dead?_ I wondered. “Oh, baby. You’re okay?” she asks.

            _No._ “Yes.” I say instead. “I’m fine, confused and all, but fine.” I manage a small smile that she returns.

            “I was so worried about you. You never came home from school…” she trails off.

            “I was sort of, kind of, kidnapped…Mom, they told me I’m a demigod, that dad’s a god…and that I have to stay here and train.” I say, not sure what her response would be.

            Her eyes turned dark and unreadable again. I realized this was not like my mother at all, she was always so full of light and now it seemed darkness had settled around her.

            “Mom?” I ask hesitantly.

            She exhales sharply and smiles weakly at me.

            “I was hoping they wouldn’t find you, that you would be safe. I should have known though. You’re so powerful.” She laughs bitterly.

            I felt my chest collapsing.

            “So you knew what I was and you never told me?” My voice betrays everything. All the pain, hurt, resentment, confusion, and sadness I’d felt since waking up. My mother flinches back like I’d just struck her.

            “I was trying to protect you, Alaina. You weren’t supposed to grow up in this world. I was selfish, so I hid you away, but the monsters were good at detecting us.” She shakes her head sadly.

            “That’s why we were always moving.” I say suddenly, realization dawning on me. My mom nods once. “So my panic attacks…are they….are they linked to my dad?” I ask.

            “I’m afraid that’s an entirely different matter.” She says, her tone clipped.

            “What about the medication I took for them?” I demand. My mother frowns. She looks like she’s deciding what to say and how to say it.

            “They weren’t for the panic attacks. They were to keep you from having the dreams that demigods get as they age, they also worked at erasing any strange things you saw, like the dog man in the park? He was a monster, one you had the ability of seeing through the mist. The pills were meant to throw monsters off your trail, but it seems like the fates would not allow that.” My mother finishes bitterly.

            It takes me a moment to remember the person she was referring to, I was seven when I saw a man sniffing around the playground at school. I called him the dog man because when he looked at me he had strange yellow eyes and a snout that resembled a dog, yet he looked human at the same time.

            “So you made me take pills because I was a demigod so I could never learn about who I was?” I ask, angrily.

            “I made you take them because you came home crying that day you saw the telekhine and you kept saying how scary he was. You kept telling me he was following you around all day and no one believed you.”

            “The next day you had me tested for ADHD and dyslexia and when the test results came back we moved by the end of the week.” I fill in, suddenly remembering. I shivered. “You still kept who I was hidden from me!”

            “Please insert another gold drachma or hang up.” A voice calls out. The vision of my mother was filling with static. I hastily threw the other drachma into the rainbow and the image cleared.

            My mother was trying to keep her face expressionless when I look up again. She seemed to be fighting an internal battle.

            “I did it to protect you Alaina. You have no idea how many monsters want to kill you. If you hadn’t taken the pills, you wouldn’t be alive right now.” She says fiercely.

            It was my turn to flinch away. I’d never heard my mother speak like this to me. When I look back at her, she smiles in a defeated way.

            “I guess all good things have to end though. Which is why I didn’t send out a police warrant looking for you when you didn’t come home, I figured maybe other demigods had been tracking you down too. I had hope that you would somehow get back into contact with me. At least I knew you weren’t dead.” My mother practically whispers the last part.

            I want to cry at her words.

            “I’m so sorry, mom. I’ve caused you more trouble than I even realized.” Tears filled my eyes and this time, I didn’t restrain them. They flowed freely down my face.

            “No, don’t say that Alaina. You have been the best thing that has happened to me in this lifetime.” She says. “I just knew it was selfish of me to hide you away all these years. I should have sent you away after you saw the telekhine. I just didn’t want my time with you to be so short, but I was warned before you were even born. I should’ve listened, but one look at you sleeping in my arms…and I couldn’t let you just go then, now look where it got us.” My mother was crying now.

            For a minute we both were just there, a thousand miles apart from each other, crying.

            “So, you _were_ planning on sending me away at some point?” I ask through my tears.

            My mother looks devastated. “It had to be done, Alaina. Since I wouldn’t send you away, since I kept you hidden, the fates took you anyway. It was always meant to be this way.”

            “You keep saying ‘the fates’, you don’t mean the _three_ Fates, do you?” My mother smiles sadly and I just sit there stunned. I see the edges of her image getting hazy and realize the connection was about to be cut. My mother sees this too.

            “Alaina, you won’t be able to get in touch with me once this connection is cut, don’t waste time trying either. You train there and don’t come looking for me. We _will_ meet again, but it won’t be the same way it has always been. Just remember, I love you. I always have and I always will”

            “Mom! What are you talking about? Mom!” I shout as the connection cuts out. The last image I have of my mother is her smiling apologetically at me through a hazy feed. I start crying, no that would be an understatement. I start bawling like a baby.

            I didn’t even realize anyone else had entered the room until I felt their hand on my shoulder. They pulled me against their chest and I cry harder, not realizing I’d sunken to the floor until a few minutes later when I had stopped sobbing and was just letting tears stream silently down my face.

I look up to the face of Percy. He doesn’t looks at me with sympathy, instead his face shows understanding, as if something similar had happened to him at one point. He doesn’t say anything either, he just lets me cry. For that, I’m thankful. If he’d tried to convince me that everything would be alright or say he was sorry, it would have seemed fake. When it seems like I can’t cry anymore, he says,

            “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You heard your mother. You were brought here for a reason, don’t make her having to let you go be for nothing.”


	10. The Big Three

            Percy doesn’t comment on my appearance as he leads me down the hall to a bathroom.

            “I’m going to talk to Chiron and tell him I’ll show you around camp before dinner. I won’t mention what happened if you want…” he trails off.

            “I’d like it if you kept whatever you saw to yourself.” I say softly. He nods.

            “Get cleaned up then, we’ve got lots to cover.” Percy smiles and I return the gesture with a small smile of my own. I close the bathroom door and hear his footsteps retreat down the hallway.

            I just stand there with my back against the door for a minute, trying to calm down before I have the courage to look in the mirror. My face is red and blotchy, my eyes are puffy. I sigh in defeat. _Great, now everyone will know I’m just an emotional wreck too._ I get to work.

            I run cold water over my face, trying to ease the redness. After a few minutes, the blotchiness fades and my eyes are less puffy, so it only looks like I’ve been crying, not sobbing like a baby. I’m not satisfied with my image, but it’s the best I can do. I slowly open the door and find Percy leaning against the wall across from the bathroom. He’s staring at the ceiling. I look up and see nothing.

            “The mind is a dangerous place.” I say to him. He looks at me. After a minute he cracks a smile.

            “I’ll agree to that.” He straightens up and walks over to me. “Let’s get going.”

            We walk side by side in silence. I can’t tell if it’s just awkward or uncomfortable. Finally, I speak up.

            “How much of the conversation did you overhear?” I ask.

            He glances at me.

            “I walked in right after you accused your mother of trying to send you away.” He states. I can’t read his expression.

            “I’d appreciate it if no one else knew what you overheard.” I say.

            “Understandable, did you find out anything about your father though?”

            “No…I didn’t ask her….maybe it’s best I don’t know right now, this is a lot to process. I don’t need to know right away anyways…”

            Percy stops in the middle of the hallway.

            “You don’t want to know or you’re afraid to know? There’s a difference.” He says, which makes me wonder how he’s able to guess these things right away. His face is expressionless.

            “I guess it’s a little bit of both. So, what makes you such a big deal here?” I say, changing the subject. I know Percy notices but he goes along with it.

            He laughs. “I’m the son of Poseidon. I was the first child of the big three to actually make it to Camp Half-Blood.” He says.

            “The big three?” I ask, confused.

            “Yeah. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the three brothers who rule different aspects of the world. They’re considered the ‘big three’ and a prophecy claimed that one of their children would make a choice when they turned sixteen that would either save or destroy Olympus. So they made a pact not to have any more kids with mortals because of it and there’s the fact that their children were always more powerful than normal demigods. Of course then all of three of them sired children and kept them hidden from each other. In the end it just caused a big mess.”

            “Let me guess, you were the child of the prophecy?” I ask.

            “Yeah. At first, they thought it may have been Thalia, she was the first child of the big three...She never made it inside the camp borders though. She was almost killed trying to get the others she was traveling with to safety. Her father, which was Zeus, took pity on her and turned her into a pine tree as she was dying…”

            “So she was out of the picture.”

            Percy nods. “Then I came to camp. Grover, who you’ll probably meet sooner or later, found me at Yancy Academy. Chiron was impersonating my Latin teacher at the time. When I got here and was claimed as Poseidon’s kid, it caused a lot of trouble.” Percy frowns and looks off into space.

            “So you became the kid of the prophecy after she died.” I supplied.

            He looks back at me. “Yeah. Until Thalia was brought back to life by the Golden Fleece.”

            “Ooh, plot twist.” I say. Percy smiles at me.

            “A major one. We butted heads for a while, being kids of the big three and all. I was a little younger than her and she was weeks away from turning sixteen. We found two more demigods, both turned out to be children of the big three too.”

            “So you have more siblings?” I ask.

            “No, the kids we brought back were children of Hades. One of them died that winter in a quest to save Artemis. Right before her sixteenth birthday, Thalia decided the prophecy wasn’t about her.”

            “So she killed herself and left the burden on you?” I guess. Percy laughs.

            “Not everything has to end in tragedy, Alaina. And no, she became one of Artemis’ hunters. They’re her version of children basically. They become immortal and swear off males. Later, we found out Thalia was Jason’s older sister.”

            “Because they share the same father?”

            “That, but they’re blood related too. They have the same mother.”

            “Wait, Zeus had two children from the same woman? That’s like never happened.”

            “Well, Jason was sired when Zeus was in his Roman form, which is Jupiter. He’s not of Greek decent, he’s Roman.”

            “Okay, so Jason couldn’t have been the child of the prophecy then?”

            “No, he’s about two years younger than me, plus we didn’t even know Roman demigods existed until about three years ago.”

            “What about the other kid of Hades?” I ask, curiously.

            “Too young. He was ten when we found him, I was like fourteen at the time. If I’d died before I turned sixteen, the prophecy would have fallen on him.”

            “Is he still alive?” I ask.

            Percy stares at me for a minute. “If alive is used loosely, then yes.” I open my mouth to respond but Percy shushes me. “All in all, I was the child of the prophecy. I saved Olympus, which is kind of true but it wasn’t as heroic as it could have been. Let’s get going though, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover before dinner.” Percy smiles at me, but I can tell he’s hiding something from me.

            He turns around and walks down the hallway, we finally reach the porch of the building we’d be in.

            “This is the Big House. Rachel, our oracle resides here. Along with Chiron, and Mr. D.” Percy says.

            “Who’s Mr. D.?”

            “Dionysus, the god of wine, but you probably know about him.” Percy says.

            “Yeah, I’ve read several myths about him. He stays here at this camp though? Why isn’t he on Olympus?”

            “He had a spat with Zeus, so as punishment he’s forced to run Camp Half-Blood. Originally, it was only for a century, but Zeus lowered it to half a century. Honestly, I think everyone is grateful for the shorter time period.”

            “That bad, huh?” I tease.

            “He purposely forgets my name and hates us all, so yes.” Percy laughs and throws his arm across my shoulders. “Off to the left, we have the strawberry fields, which are nice in the spring and summer, to the right, just over the hill, Half-Blood Hill, is Thalia’s pine tree. The Golden Fleece hangs from one of the branches and is guarded by Peleus, a dragon.”

            “Wait, dragons exist too?” I ask, excited by the idea. Percy laughs.

            “Of course they do.”

            “How come no one has them as a pet then?”

            Percy smiles wider.

            “Well, dragons can be dangerous you know.”

            “More dangerous than almost being killed by a hydra?”

            “Yes, but if you really want a pet dragon, you can talk to Leo, he has one.”

            “No way.”

            “Way.”

            “That’s it, Leo’s my new best friend now.” I say, throwing my hands into the air.

            Percy laughs. “We’re going to get along just fine.” He says. I smile at his words, a warm feeling running through my body. _Maybe I do fit in here._ Percy steers me off the porch of the Big House and to the left.

            We walk around in a huge circle, Percy shows me the armory, the Pegasus stables, the forge and their arena. He steers me in the direction of the cabins. He points off to the left of us and says,

            “We play capture the flag in those woods almost every Friday. I don’t advise going into them alone and unarmed though. There are plenty of monsters in there.” Percy cautions.

            “Sounds like my new favorite place.” I joke. “What day is today?” I ask.

            “It’s Monday I think.” Percy says, thinking it over.

            “So four days until capture the flag?” I say.

            Percy nods. “Were you thinking about participating?” he asks.

            “Depends if I can learn enough defense to survive.” I retort. “You make it sound like it’s a fight to the death in there.”

            “It practically is.”

            We walk in silence until we reach the edges of the cabins, but it is no longer awkward between us.

            Percy leads me to the door of a brown painted cabin. The number 11 hangs next to the door. A caduceus hangs above the door.

            “That’s Hermes’ symbol right?” I ask, staring at the door.

            Percy stares at me in a calculating way. “You know your mythology.” He says. “Yeah, this is Hermes’ cabin. All undetermined demigods stay here until they’re claimed. I even stayed here for some time before Poseidon claimed me.” He steals a glance at me. “It shouldn’t take long before your father claims you. It’s actually very odd you haven’t been claimed already.”

            “Yeah, just my luck. Odd man out every time.” I say sarcastically.

            Percy smiles, “You and Leo are definitely going to get along well.”

            “Only if he gets me a pet dragon. I want a dragon.” I retort.

            Percy cracks up and I smile. I loved making people laugh. Once he calms down he knocks on cabin eleven’s door. The two brothers from earlier throw open the door. They both smile evilly.

            “We’ve been expecting you, Alaina.” They say in unison.

            “Uh….” Was all I could manage to say. I watch Percy try to contain his laughter once more. “What is going on?”

            Two sets of hands grab my arm and jerk me into the cabin.

            “Percy!” I scream as the cabin door slams shut.


	11. Scar on the Ground

            “I am going to kill you both if you don’t let go of me right now!” I shout in panic.

            They let go of me and laugh hysterically.

            “You should have seen your face, it was priceless.” One of them says.

            “It was great wasn’t it? You were so scared.” The other laughs.

            I fume with anger.

            “You know what else is funny? The fact that you both are going to die painfully tonight.”

            That shut them up. I glare at them.

            “It was a joke, Alaina. Relax a bit, okay?” I glare at them once more.

            “I can’t tell you two apart.” I say, switching subjects.

            “I’m Travis.” One says. I look for differences between them. I see that Travis is just a little taller than Connor, not much but enough to tell them apart if they were seen together.

            “Okay, so where am I sleeping then?” I ask, finally looking around the cabin.

            The cabin showed signs of wear, the floors were scuffed from many feet year after year. The walls were a faded color, but the entire cabin gave off a nice vibe. One that was inviting and home-like.

            “We have an empty bunk a little further down.” Travis says.

            “Ever since Percy had the gods claim their children, we haven’t had a lot of new kids in our cabin. It’s a little weird though.” Connor adds.

            They lead me to an empty bunk. The covers are plain white and the bed is made perfectly. I sit down on the edge.

            “Percy made the gods claim all their children? They didn’t do that before?” I ask.

            Travis and Connor sit down on either side of me.

            “Nope. Before the Hermes cabin was practically at bursting point with unclaimed children.” Travis says.

            “Since Hermes is the god of travelers, our cabin takes in all newcomers to Camp Half-Blood.” Connor supplies.

            “Once the second Olympian war was over, Percy was offered immortality, but he turned it down.” Travis states.

            “Who would turn down immortality?” I ask.

            “Well, Percy couldn’t just leave Annabeth, now could he?” Travis jokes.

            “So they _are_ dating?”

            “Yeah, so don’t get any ideas about Percy, no offense but Annabeth would kill you if you tried anything.” Connor warns.

            “Noted. Okay, so Percy turned down immortality for Annabeth?” I question.

            “Yeah, that was part of it anyway. Instead he made all the gods swear on the river Styx to claim their children before the age of thirteen.” Connor tells me.

            I’m silent. I was almost seventeen and I hadn’t been claimed yet. They seem to catch on to this.

            “Don’t worry though, usually when a kid shows up not knowing their godly parent, they get claimed within a week.” Travis says, trying to do damage control.

            “Yeah, well. Technically, I _have_ been here a week. I’ve just been unconscious for the majority of it.” I say, my voice flat. I stand up. “When’s dinner?” I ask.

            A horn blows somewhere in the distance. Travis and Connor stand up beside me.

            “That would be now.” Travis says.

            “Yep, so let’s go. You’ll be dining with us.” Connor says.

            They both link their arms with mine and skip out of the cabin, dragging me along. I laugh in spite of myself. We get halfway across the field before a pair of hands cover my eyes. I shriek in surprise and I hear laughter. The Stoll brothers let go of me.

            “We’ll catch up with you later, Alaina.” They say, leaving me alone with the new person.

            “Guess who.” A voice says.

            “Uh…I don’t know. Who is this?” I respond, not trying at all.

            The hands vanish and I turn around. Leo’s standing there smiling widely. I smile in return. We start walking towards the dining pavilion.

            “Is there anything I should know about dinner before getting there?” I ask, glancing at Leo.

            “Well, we do an offering. So we offer a portion of our meal to the gods every time. They seem to like the smell of burnt food.” Leo crinkles his nose and I chuckle.

            “Alright then.”

            “Oh, we’re technically not supposed to sit at other gods’ tables. It’s forbidden for some reason. But, on a side note, we do it anyways.” Leo turns to me.

            “What rebels.” I laugh.

            “Yeah.” Leo chuckles. Suddenly his tone is concerned as he asks, “Hey, Alaina, how did the Iris-message go? You disappeared after that.”

            I glance at Leo, he’s staring straight ahead and he looks troubled.

            “It went well I guess. I got to talk to my mom. I didn’t ask about my dad though. I’m not sure I even want to know right now anyways. It seems Annabeth was right though, my dad is definitely a god.” I frown, thinking about the conversation I’d had with my mom. “Percy showed me around camp afterwards.”

            Leo nods, but I get the feeling he’s not telling me something. _Why is everyone keeping something from me?_ I think to myself. Suddenly, Leo’s all smiles again.

            “Hey, tomorrow do you want to see something awesome?” he’s grinning with excitement. I laugh.

            “Sure. What is it?”

            “It’s a surprise!” He exclaims. I giggle as we reach the dining pavilion. I stop in my tracks as I see a long gray scar running through the middle of the pavilion. No one else seems to take notice of it. I start to feel a sense of dread. Leo stops a few feet away from me. He looks at me in a concerned way.

            “What’s wrong?” he asks.

            “Where did this scar come from?” I ask in return.

            “It happened like six or seven years ago according to Percy.” Leo replies as if it’s not a big deal.

            _“You promised!”_ a voice screams. I take a step back, confused. I see the same boy from my earlier visions glaring at me, his eyes are rimmed red. His fist is closed around a small object. _“I shouldn’t have trusted you”_ his voice breaks, I see his expression turn from anger to pure sadness. _“You lied to me! My nightmares were right.”_

            I step back, desperate to get away. The boy flings the item he was holding on the ground. It clatters across ice.

            _“I hate you!”_

            I stumble back at his words. I slip and fall backwards on the item he’d thrown. I land hard on my butt next to it. It’s a figure of a god. I recognize the image of Hades from one of the books my mother had kept in our attic back home. I look back up, but the boy is no longer there, there’s no ice either. Leo’s staring at me with a look of worry, then I realize everyone’s staring at me.

            “Alaina?” Leo asks, his voice shaking.

            I look at him, terrified. Not sure if what I’d seen was real or not. Actually, I wasn’t sure if anything was real anymore.

            “Fine. I’m fine.” I say hastily, standing up and brushing the dirt off my pants.

            “You’re not fine. You just screamed and fell backwards.”

            “I screamed?” I was scared, no doubt my voice betrayed that.

            “Yeah, are you sure you’re okay?” He asks again.

            I take a shaky breath and straighten my shoulders.

            “I’m fine, Leo. I just panicked, this is all new to me remember?” I say airily and plaster on the fake smile I’d used so many times to convince my mother I was okay. Leo didn’t say anything for a second, then he nodded.

            “Okay.” Was all he said. He leads me over to the Stoll brothers, who’d been watching the entire thing. Leo grabs a plate for me and himself and leads me to the fire. He scrapes off some of his food into the fire and mutters something. I do the same, except I have no idea what to say, so I don’t say anything.

            Leo sits next to be at dinner, even though he’d said earlier that it was technically forbidden. No one said a word about it. All throughout the meal, I could feel everyone glancing at me.

            Leo tried to make small talk, but I only participated half-heartedly. I was still concerned about what I’d seen. Halfway through dinner, Chiron wheels himself to the front of the dinning pavilion. He clears his throat and all conversation stop.

            “As many of you are aware, we have a new camper with us.” Leo nudges me. I stand up slowly. “Her name is Alaina Spearing and as of right now, she is undetermined.”

            Whispers arise about who my godly parent could be. Chiron shushes them again. I sit back down quickly. My cheeks red from embarrassment. I never liked being the center of attention. I was the girl that sat in the back of the classroom at school and didn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t deal well with crowds of people.

            “I expect all of you to be polite.” Chiron looks pointedly at a table across from me. A few kids snickered. “As you all know, Capture the Flag will take place this Friday night. Ares team against Athena. I expect to have your team cabins in by tomorrow night. That is all the announcements I have for tonight.” Chiron glances at me quickly before rolling back to his seat.

            I shoot him a thank you look. The attention had been deflected off of me and onto the game for Friday night. Everyone was talking strategy. I look around the pavilion and notice someone wasn’t there.

            “Where’s Nico?” I ask, curiously.

            Leo almost chokes on his drink. When he recovers he asks,

            “Why?” I shrug in response. Leo eyes me warily. “Nico is sometimes here, sometimes he’s not. It depends on his mood. He gets ADHD like the rest of us.”

            “Okay.” I say nonchalantly.

            “Hey, Alaina.” A voice says. I look up to see Annabeth standing above me. Her eyes are hard and calculating, as if she’s trying to figure out a hard question on a test.

            “Hey…Annabeth, right?” I ask for clarification. She nods and squeezes between me and Leo.

            “Are you playing Capture the Flag on Friday?” she asks.

            “Uh…It depends. I’ve never played, plus I don’t have any skills with weapons like the rest of you.”

            “We could always use you for something. You won’t have to fight, we’ll make sure you’re covered in there.” She says.

            “Uh…”

            Annabeth looks over my shoulder and stands up abruptly. I turn around to see Percy had stood up and was walking towards us.

            “Just think about it, okay? I need to know by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.” She says. In the blink of an eye she’s walking towards Percy and they leave the pavilion whispering together.

            I turn to Leo.

            “What just happened?” I ask.

            “It’s Annabeth, no one knows.” Travis replies instead.

            “Right…” I say. I see a shadow make its way across the courtyard. It was heading towards the cabins. “Hey, I’ll be right back.” I say, standing. Part of me is screaming this is a bad idea, but the other part of me is curious. The curious side wins.

            “Hey, just be back in time for the sing along.” Connor says.

            I nod and force a smile.

            “Yeah, sure.” I walk away from the pavilion, following the shadow to the cabins, wondering if I am always going to make poor life decisions.


	12. Playing With Shadows

            As I’m walking towards the cabins, I lose track of the shadow. I stop and look around for any sign of movement. I see nothing. I walk slowly around Zeus and Hera’s cabins, the fire pit in the middle of the field sending shadows across the front of them both. I stop in front of the fire pit. Out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow head towards the right.

            “Got ‘cha.” I whisper and hurry towards it.

            I follow the shadow behind the Hermes cabin, where it disappears. All of a sudden, I’m thrown against the side of the cabin. I scream briefly before the shadow figure covers my mouth. I watch as the shadow solidifies into Nico.

            “Why are you following me?” he says angrily as he removes his hand from my mouth.

            “Why weren’t you at dinner?” I counter, just as angry. He glares at me and moves back a few steps. He studies me as I straighten up to my full height of 5’3”…which wasn’t tall at all. “Well?” I prompt.

            He rolls his eyes at me. “I don’t need a babysitter, unlike some people.” He says coldly.

            “Excuse me? I don’t need a babysitter.” I retort.

            He laughs humorously. “Oh yeah? Then what’s Valdez to you? Or Percy?”

            “They’re my friends!” I shout at him.

            “They don’t even _know_ you. No one knows a thing about you, do they? How can they already be your friends?” he sneers. I’m too shocked to speak. His words were full of truth, they didn’t know me. No one did. Nico was right, but I also got the feeling he was provoking me on purpose.

            “What’s your deal?” I ask coolly. “You’re all ‘Don’t touch me’ or ‘I’m too cool for you’. But you’re not, you’re a demigod just like the rest of us!”

            I could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves of darkness. It was like standing up to pure terror.

            “You don’t know a single _thing_ about me.” Nico says calmly and softly, which makes me think he’s on the verge of completely flipping out.

            “I do though. You’re the kid I keep having dreams about, aren’t you? You have a lot of hate stored inside of you.” Nico just glares at me. “I saw you…with another girl…talking about remembering the past or something. You were in a field.” Some emotion flashes across Nico’s face. “Then I saw you with a different girl, but you were younger and…and you were at a school I think. In a gymnasium.”

            “Stop talking right now.” Nico says in a hushed tone. I don’t know why, but I keep pushing.

            “Then you were talking to Percy about following your sister on a quest, but you couldn’t go. You were too young.”

            He clenches his fist. “Alaina, you should stop talking right now.” The ground shakes slightly and I keep talking.

            “Your sister died on that quest, didn’t she? So you got mad at Percy. You flipped out.”

            The ground shakes violently and I fall backwards against the side of the cabin. The ground fissures at my feet and I back up as far as I can against the wall. I could see just over the opening and I only saw darkness. I look at Nico and his face is twisted in anger.

            “You’re the son of Hades. You’re the only other child of the big three at this camp. Your father wasn’t as welcome on Olympus as the other gods and goddesses.” I say aloud, recalling the mythology. “You feel that way here don’t you? That feeling of not belonging.”

            I know I’m right as Nico’s face changes from anger to expressionless. He flicks his wrist and the ground closes up. A thin scar is all that’s left and it’s near identical to the one on the floor of the dining pavilion.

            “You should learn when to hold your tongue.” Nico says. He turns away and I follow him. I have no idea what I’m doing.

            “You should learn to let someone in sometime. It’s no wonder why no one talks to you. It’s not them that’s the problem, it’s you.”

            Nico whirls around so fast, I get whiplash just by watching him. His face is dangerously close to mine. I hold my breath, scared to even breathe.

            “Don’t believe everything you hear, Alaina. There’s a reason no one knows a thing about me and don’t just assume it’s all about who my father is.”

            “Please, enlighten me then. What’s the real reason you’re afraid to have friends?”

            “I could ask you the same question, now can’t I?” I stumble backwards in response. Nico laughs darkly. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re afraid of. I’m the son of Hades, I can visualize the things you’re afraid of. I can manifest them if you’d like.” He offered.

            “I know what you’re trying to do. You can’t provoke me though.” I say, fear sinking its way into my bones.

            “Really now?” He takes a step forward and I take a step backwards.

            “Stop it.” My vision blurs over for a minute and I curse myself for allowing him to goad me.

            “Stop what?” he smiles darkly at me.

            I gasp as my vision turns completely black. I stumble backwards in panic.

            “Nico make it stop!” I cry out in fear. Shadows start forming from the darkness. “Nico!”

            Suddenly, the darkness is replaced by blinding white light. When it fades all I can see is white. I blink, trying to clear my vision. I feel something cold and wet land on my arm and I hear thunder shake the ground. When my vision clears I see Nico sitting up about ten feet away from me blinking frantically.

            “Is it…is it raining?” I ask shakily.

            “Yes.” A new voice says. I look up and Jason is standing above me, he looks angry.

            “Why is it raining?” I ask in confusion.

            Nico glares at me and I stare hard back.

            “Let’s go, Alaina.” Jason helps me stand up. I see campers running towards the cabins, seeking shelter from the rain. Jason glances at Nico and they both share a look. Nico stares at the sky for a minute before retreating back to the shadows.

            I wonder if I’m ever going to understand him or if it’s just going to be a constant battle to see who can make the other break first. I glance at the ground and see a charred area of ground, sparks racing across the blackened area.

            “Alaina.” Jason is staring at me. I look at him, realization dawning on me once I see his face. Blackness takes over my vision once again and I pass out.


	13. Lucky First Try?

            Nico and I were standing alone in the middle of a clearing, which I found weird because Nico hates me. He looks younger than he does now. He taps a sword on the ground and a mound of animal bones appear from the earth. They come together to form a skeletal mouse and it scampers off.

            “I was sorry to hear about Beckendorf.” He says.

            “How did you-“ I start to say but Nico interrupts. _What is going on?_ I think dizzily.

            “I talked to his ghost.” Nico says plainly.

            “Oh…right.” I say in response. Except, I know it’s not me talking. “Did he say anything?”

            Nico looks up briefly. “He doesn’t blame you. He figured you’d be beating yourself up, and he said you shouldn’t.”

            “Is he going to try for rebirth?”

            Nico shakes his head. “He’s staying in Elysium. Said he’s waiting for someone. Not sure what he meant, but he seems okay with death.”

            “I had a vision you were on Mount Tam.” I tell Nico. “Was that-“

            “Real. I didn’t mean to be spying on the Titans, but I was in the neighborhood.”

            “Doing what?”

            Nico nervously tugs at his sword belt. “Following a lead on…you know, my family.”

            I nod, but I have no idea what’s going on or what he’s talking about.

            “So how did it go?” I ask him. “Any luck?”

            “No,” Nico murmurs. “But I may have a new lead soon.”

            “What’s the lead?” I ask.

            Nico chews his lip for a minute before answering. “That’s not important right now. You know why I’m here.”

            Nico looks up at me and I feel a sense of dread building in my chest. It kept building up until I felt like my chest was about to explode.

            ~~~                            ~~~                  ~~~                          ~~~~

            I wake up, gasping for breath. I clutch my chest, the feeling of pent up pressure still lingering. _What the heck was that?_ I wonder. I look around and realize I was in my bunk in the Hermes cabin. All of last night’s memories came rushing back to me. I felt even more pressure pile on my chest. Like the world was trying to suffocate me.

            I exhale sharply and get out of bed. I stretch and make my bed. I change clothes and realize no one else was in the cabin. _What time of day is it?_ I question silently. I slip on my shoes and walk outside.

            Bright light blinds me for a second and I assume it’s midday. I look around and see Travis and Connor approaching the cabin smiling and all sweaty. I meet them halfway across the field.

            “Hey, it’s sleeping beauty.” Connor says, smiling down at me.

            “Good to see you’re awake. You sleep like a rock you know.” Travis adds.

            “Good to know. So, what am I supposed to be doing right now?” I ask, looking around.

            “Well, you were supposed to be at sword fighting with us an hour ago.” Connor says.

            I frown. “You could have woken me up for that, you know.” I point out.

            “We thought you’d want some sleep after yesterday and all. We have a free period now, but if you want to play in capture the flag you should practice some sword skills down at the arena.” Travis says.

            I nod. “Is anyone else down there?”

            Connor thinks about it for a minute. “Jason or maybe Percy and Annabeth might be down there.” he says.

            “Well, I guess I’ll go practice. I do want to participate in capture the flag Friday.” I respond. They both nod.

            They wave me off and I trudge down to the arena. When I get there I see Percy and Annabeth fighting against each other. Percy swings his sword towards Annabeth but she ducks and brings up a dagger which Percy easily deflects. They’re both panting hard. Annabeth spins around and tries to attack Percy from behind. He turns around and arcs his sword towards Annabeth’s dagger. It hits its mark and her dagger goes flying. They both stand there panting for a moment before sharing a kiss.

            I turn away, slightly embarrassed to see their exchange. When I look back Annabeth is staring at me. She says something to Percy and they both walk towards me. I start walking towards them.

            “Hey.” I say when I’m within earshot of them.

            Percy smiles at me and Annabeth just stares at me.

            “Hey, are you planning on practicing?” Percy asks.

            “Uh, I really don’t know anything about sword fighting. I’d love to learn though.” I say in response.

            Percy smiles widely.

            “Great, I can show you if you want.” He replies.

            I glance at Annabeth, she’s just staring at me. Her brow is furrowed in thought.

            “If that’s okay with Annabeth, then I’d like that.”

            Percy looks to Annabeth. She looks up as if coming out of a trance.

            “Yeah, that’s okay. I’ll just watch.” She says. Percy leans down to kiss her and I look down, trying not to stare.

            Annabeth walks off to the stands and Percy watches her walk away. It’s clear that Percy is totally head over heels for Annabeth and I feel a pang of jealously. _Why couldn’t I find someone who loved me as much as Percy loves Annabeth?_ I exhale softly. Percy turns back to me.

            “Let’s get you a sword.” He says and leads me to a shed off to the side. He digs through the weapons inside. He mutters to himself as he searches for a good weapon for me. “Aha!” he finally says.

            Percy pulls out a two foot long sword and hands me it. I gingerly take it, the tip of the blade dips to the ground.

            “Hold it with both hands.” Percy says, placing my hands in the right position on the hilt. It suddenly seems a lot lighter. Percy smiles. “There you go. Let’s work on some basics.” He walks back towards the middle of the arena. I follow behind him.

            “Okay now. Stand in a defensive manner.” He instructs. He glances over my position. “Feet a little more apart. And crouch a little, try making yourself less of a target.” I follow his instructions, adding a little space between my feet and hunching over. Percy smiles. “Perfect.”

            Without warning he attacks. I duck and move out of the way. I catch him smiling cockily. He walks around me once.

            “Try and keep your eyes on the target at all times.” He says.

            He moves quickly to the right and I turn around. He swings his sword at me and I bring mine up to meet his. There’s a clash as metal meets metal.

            “Not bad.” He mutters before swinging at me again. I deflect and move backwards, wondering how he’s able to move so fast.

            _Practice makes perfect._ A voice replies. I’m so startled I lose focus. Percy’s sword cuts a small gash on my arm. He backs out of reach. I feel a spasm of pain and see a little blood rise. My blade drops slightly.

            “Come on, Alaina. Focus.” Percy shouts.

            Something kicks in my body and my mind goes numb. I charge at Percy. I arc my sword towards his chest and he easily deflects the move. I spin around and bring the sword at his knee. He moves out of range. I see a look of frustration cross his face. He moves to the left and I follow him, swinging my sword at his arm. I nick his arm slightly and he gets in close. He shoves me back roughly and I stumble.

            The hilt of his sword crashes against my chest and I feel the breath get knocked out of me. I fall backwards on the ground and roll out of the way. Coming back up and swiping at the back of his leg. He goes down onto one knee. I move out of the range of his sword. Sweat drips down my face and my hair falls in my eyes.

            Percy glares at me and gets up. There’s a glint in his eye that I’ve never seen before. He charges and I spin away, stealing a chance to cut his arm slightly again. He turns around and arcs his sword towards my arm. I deflect and push with an amount of force I didn’t know I could produce against his sword. He stumbles back, quickly regaining his footing. He grits his teeth in irritation.

            Percy attacks at me again and I duck down and swing my foot out to trip him. He goes down and rolls off to the side. I quickly move in his way as he gets up. Cutting a deeper gash in his right arm. His sword dips down in exhaustion. I take the chance and push him with the hilt of my sword. He stumbles backwards. I bring my foot up and kick him in the chest. He falls to the ground. I quickly place my foot on his chest to pin him down and bring the tip of my sword under his chin.

            My hair falls into my eyes again and Percy glares up at me, clearly irritated to be defeated. Then he smiles widely and I realize I’d just beaten him…and I have no idea how I did any of it. I remove the my sword from his chin and help him up. Out of the corner of my eyes I see Annabeth standing up. One of her hands is covering her mouth in surprise. She quickly recovers and heads towards us.

            Percy and I are both panting heavily.

            “You’re sure you’ve never fought before?” Percy asks in between breaths.

            “Yeah, never.” I say.

            “That footwork,” Annabeth says as she approaches us. “I’ve never seen anyone move like that.” Her expression is hard to read. “It was like you were dancing.”

            I blush deeply. “I, uh, used to dance when I was little. Mom always insisted on it.” I reply. Annabeth nods like it explained everything.

            “Well, it seems like you don’t need any basic training after all.” Percy jokes. I just continue to blush.

            “I honestly had no idea what I was doing.” I say.

            “You sure acted like you did.” Annabeth remarks.

            “Lucky first try?” I suggest.

            Annabeth studies me. “That wasn’t luck. Percy wasn’t able to take you out easily, which is surprising.”

            Annabeth and Percy share a look. Percy wraps his arm around her.

            “Well, I think that’s enough for one day. Tomorrow if you want, we could practice some more.” Percy offers.

            “Yeah, that would be awesome.” I reply.

            “Well, catch you later then.” Percy nods at me and he leaves with Annabeth. I stand there in the middle of the arena for a moment longer. Suddenly, I get the feeling I’m being watched and I turn around just in time to see Nico disappear out of the arena. I wonder how long he’d been there for. I walk towards the edge of the arena and I’m about to leave when someone calls out my name.

            “Alaina!” I turn around to see Jason rushing towards me from the other side of the arena.

            “Hey, what’s up?” I ask as he approaches.

            His expression is neutral and I get a bad feeling from it.

            “We need to talk.” He says in response.

            “Sure.” I say awkwardly.

            “But not here. Follow me.” With that, he leads me out of the arena.


	14. Sparks Fly

            I follow Jason out of the arena and walk in silence behind him as he leads me towards the Pegasus stables. He ushers me inside and closes the stable door. He checks to make sure no one else is inside.

            “So what do we need to talk about?” I ask. I lean against the nearest stable. A Pegasus whines at me so I gently stroke its nose. It snuggles against my hand. I look back at Jason and somehow I’m not surprised to see Nico standing next to him. “I didn’t know when you said ‘we’ you meant he’d be here too.”

            “We need to talk about what happened last night.” Nico says, his voice flat.

            “What are you talking about?” I reply nonchalantly. I knew exactly what they wanted to talk about, but I wasn’t ready to admit I knew the truth.

            “You know exactly what we mean.” Nico says. I glare at him.

            “Can you both stop being at each other’s throats for a couple of minutes?” Jason says, clearly irritated.

            “Unless death boy is talking about the fact that he sent me into a panic attack, on purpose I might add, then there’s nothing to talk about.”

            “Alaina, why don’t you stop being stuck up for a moment and jump back into reality?” Nico demands.

            “Look who’s talking!” I retaliate. The Pegasus I was stroking whines and retreats back into its stable. Nico takes an angry step forward but Jason holds him back.

            “Both of you stop it.” He orders. I just glare at Nico.

            “Nothing happened after what Nico did to me. It _rained_ , that’s it.” I say.

            “It doesn’t rain here unless we allow it to.” Jason explains. I pale at this.

            “Then someone must have allowed it to rain inside the borders.” I say.

            “Yeah, someone did.” Nico retorts. I glare at him in response.

            “Alaina, it’s okay to be confused. But what happened-“ Jason starts.

            “I’m not confused. I didn’t do anything.” I say, my voice neutral.

            _Liar._ A voice whispers. _Shut up._ I reply.

            “Alaina-“ Jason tries again.

            “I didn’t do that!” I shout. A bolt of electricity strikes the ground next to Jason. I stare at the now charred ground as do Nico and Jason.

            “Just like you didn’t do that?” Nico asks sarcastically.

            I just stand there. The truth was coming out. If I had realized it last night, why did I think they wouldn’t, they _had_ been there too. They’d witnessed exactly what happened after Nico caused me to panic.

            “I didn’t do that.” I whisper. “I don’t have any powers.” I don’t know who I’m trying to convince, them or myself.

            “Alaina, it’s okay. When demigods with untrained powers get upset or angry, their powers get out of control. You just don’t know what you’re capable of right now.” Jason says softly.

            I look up at him. I have half a mind to scream in protest, but the other half of me knows it’s no use. I know the truth and both of them know it too. I sink down to the floor. I stare at my hands. They’re trembling. It was all making sense now. Everything leading up to now. My head became dizzy with the clarity of the situation.

            “This can’t be happening. I’m not that powerful. I’m not even a demigod.” I say, my voice barely audible.

            Both of them crouch down next to me. This is the first time Nico’s ever looked at me without being angry. I look away from them both, afraid I’ll turn into a crying mess.

            “Alaina, you _are_ a demigod. That much is clear to everyone here. You couldn’t have been a demigod without causing that mess. Hades, you beat Percy at sword fighting without having any type of training.” Jason tries to comfort me.

            “You both saw that?” I say weakly.

            They nod in response.

            “You have all the signs of being a powerful demigod. You have to be the daughter of-“ Nico says.

            “Don’t you dare say it.” I warn. Anger overwhelms me for a minute and I fear I’ll lose control.

            Nico’s eyes harden. “Why must you be so stubborn all the time? We’re trying to _help_ you and all you’re doing is pushing us away!” Nico says angrily.

            “Huh, I guess it sounds like someone else we all know.” My voice is as hard as steel.

            Anger flashes across his eyes. He reaches out to touch me and a spark of electricity throws him back away from me. All the hairs on my arms stand on end and my body fills with electricity, as if someone just turned on a very volatile electrical current. Jason stares at me curiously. Nico slowly gets up and glares at me.

            “There’s no doubt about who your father is now.” Jason says. He’s staring at something above my head and Nico looks there too. I look up, scared to see exactly what I feared hovering above my head. A black lightning bolt that was just starting to fade.

            “All hail Alaina Spearing, daughter of the mighty Zeus.” Nico says sarcastically.


	15. A New Prophecy

            “This can’t be happening.” I say in defeat.

            “No one gets to pick who their godly parent is.” Nico says.

            “But being a child of the ‘Big Three’? Everything falls onto them. Everyone expects you all to be the big heroes, am I right?” I search their faces for something, anything.

            “It’s all part of the title. Children of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all face higher expectations. It’s sink or swim for us. We have no middle ground to work with.” Jason says calmly.

            I blink back tears and take a shaky breath. “So what now?” I ask. My entire body still felt like it was buzzing with electricity.

            “We talk to Chiron.” Jason says. He reaches out to help me up.

            “Don’t!” I cry out in panic. His hand stops immediately.

            “What’s wrong, Alaina?” He asks, confusion evident on his face.

            “She’s still electrically charged.” Nico answers for me.

            I look up at him, wondering how he knows. His hair is standing up at odd angles from the earlier blast of electricity.

            “Just relax a little, Alaina. That should help.” Jason suggests.

            I close my eyes and try to slow my breathing. After a minute, I feel the electrical current inside of me begin to fade. I keep my eyes closed until I feel no electrical charge at all. I exhale and open my eyes. Nico and Jason are both staring at me in curiosity.

            I get up shakily. Nico slowly walks over to Jason and me.

            “Let’s go tell Chiron what just happened.” Jason says.

            “Actually, do you think we can hold off on that for a little bit?” I ask.

            “Alaina…” Jason says.

            “I know we have to tell him, but I…I’m just a little overwhelmed right now. Plus, I really need a shower.” I wrinkle my nose.

            Jason looks unconvinced and Nico is just standing there. Jason turns to Nico and they share a look.

            “Fine, how about an hour? Is that long enough for you? We can meet in front of the Big House.” Jason says.

            I nod. “That works.” I reply.

            “Okay, I guess we’ll see you in an hour.” Jason says, still looking uneasy about the situation.

            I look away and walk out of the stables. I walk back to the Hermes cabin to gather some things for a shower and found that someone had placed two sets of new clothes at the foot of my bunk. I make a mental note to find who that person was and to thank them personally.

            I grab one pair and head out to the showers. While in the shower, I try and process things. I was a daughter of Zeus, but I didn’t feel any different. If anything I feel less like a demigod and more like a freak. _Like I need another reason._ I think sadly. I start crying, might as well get it all out now instead of looking weak in front of everyone later.

            After a few minutes, I calm down and finish up my shower. I change and walk outside. A cool breeze hits my face and I realize that the month of October is already gone and November was starting to sink in. The sun is starting to sink from the middle of the sky as I put everything back in my bunk in the Hermes cabin. I then head towards the Big House, slightly anxious to have this conversation with Chiron.

            As I approach the Big House, I see Jason and Nico are on the porch talking softly. Nico sees me first and points me out to Jason. They watch as I approach. I exhale in defeat.

            “Do we have to tell Chiron now?” I ask, hoping they’ll say no.

            “Better now than later.” Jason says. I look away. I feel a hand on my arm. I look up into Jason’s face. “Everything will be fine.” He says.

            I nod and allow them to lead me inside. I follow them down a flight of stairs to the room where I’d first met everyone. Chiron was in his wheelchair at the head of the same Ping-Pong table and he was talking with the oracle, Rachel. I nervously stand in the doorway. Nico and Jason file in behind me and finally Chiron looks up out of his conversation. His brow furrows.

            “Is something wrong?” he asks. I look to Nico and Jason.

            Nico steps forward. “Chiron, Alaina has been claimed.”

            Chiron’s eyebrows raise in a questioning way. “And who, may I ask, is her father?”

            All eyes turn towards me. I take a deep breath before answering.

            “Zeus. My father is Zeus.” I say softly. I can’t decipher the look on Chiron’s face. Rachel is staring at me weirdly too.

            “Alaina, that is a serious-“ He’s cut off and everyone’s eyes are focused on a spot above my head once more. I look up and see the same figure as before, a black lightning bolt shimmering above my head. It seems to be alternating between gold and black as it fades away. Everyone is silent and I’m standing there awkwardly.

            “It was black.” Rachel says. I look up at her.

            “Was it not supposed to be?” I ask.

            Rachel shakes her head. “Usually they’re pure gold. This one was fighting between two colors, black and gold. That’s highly unusual.” Rachel explains.

            “Great, just great.” My eyes start to water and I brush at them fiercely. I was sick of crying and looking weak. I feel a hand on my back and I’m surprised to see its Nico. He’s staring at me with a look I can’t read. I turn away.

            “Chiron, do you have any idea why the bolt was black?” Jason asks.

            Chiron thinks it over. “I can’t say I’ve ever experienced a case like this before. I’ve met many children of Zeus but none have ever been in the predicament that Alaina seems to have stumbled into.”

            I feel myself breaking apart at the seams. _You’re an outcast, it’s all you’ve ever been and it’s all you’ll ever be._ A female voice whispers. _Shut up._ I reply angrily. _Great, now I’m having conversations with myself too._ I think bitterly.

            Rachel opens her mouth to speak but doubles over like she’s in pain. When she recovers her eyes are an eerie bright green color and her body is stiff. She turns her head towards me and opens her mouth to speak once more. A voice that is clearly not hers recites:

_“Darkness, Fire, Water, and Storm_

_Daughters of Wisdom and Love return._

_From Heaven to Hell, they’ll search for the Light,_

_Which has gone missing in the dead of the night._

_Through many travels and horrors they fall,_

_In the search for one who holds the key to all._

_Pain and sorrow taken with every step_

_For the hero, who’s been robbed by Death.”_

            She slumps forward and Jason races to catch her. He sits her back upright and we are all in shock over what we just heard. Rachel groans and seems to be back to herself. She touches her head and groans again.

            “What just happened?” she asks confused. She looks around. “I just gave out another prophecy didn’t I?”

            “Darkness, Fire, Water, and Storm, Daughters of Wisdom and Love return.” Jason starts.

            “From Heaven to Hell, they’ll search for the Light, Which has gone missing in the dead of the night.” Chiron adds, his face is masked in a neutral expression.

            “Through many travels and horrors they fall, In the search for one who holds the key to all.” Nico provides.

            “Pain and sorrow taken with every step, For the hero who’s been robbed by Death.” I finish softly. Everyone is staring at me and I know somehow this prophecy is for me.

            Suddenly, the door bursts open and Percy runs in. All eyes turn to him.

            “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but we have some guests.” He says.

            “What do you mean?” Chiron asks wheeling his chair forward.

            Percy steps out of the way and a small group of girls walk in. They’re all dressed the same in white and silver attire. They were wearing white shirts covered by silver ski jackets and blue jeans. They all have on black combat boots and they all produced a silver aura.

            A girl with black hair with a streak of blue cut short in a punk type style makes her way to the front of the group of girls. She wears a silver circlet across her forehead and I instantly know she’s the leader of this group. She looks around the room and as soon as she sees Jason, she runs towards him. I stand awkwardly off to the side next to Nico. He looks about as uncomfortable as I do.

            The girl grins up at Jason. “It’s been a long time, little brother.” She says. I’m slightly confused about her statement because she looks like she’s younger than Jason.  Nico has a pained look on his face as he watches the scene before us.

            “You haven’t changed a bit.” Jason laughs in response.

            “It’s the whole immortality thing.” The girl laughs back. The other girls are standing in the doorway watching the scene.

            “Uh, not to be rude or anything, but who are you all?” I ask. All eyes turn towards me. The girl looks me over once before responding.

            “I am Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. And these,” she gestures towards the other girls. “Are my sister hunters, the Hunters of Artemis.”


	16. Sibling Rivalry

            The two of us eye each other for a few minutes before Thalia speaks again. “Who are you?” she questions.

            “I’m Alaina Spearing….also a daughter of Zeus.” I reply.

            Thalia squints at me. “There is no way you’re a daughter of Zeus. It’s not possible.” She says.

            “So what you’re implying is that I’m lying to you?” I say slowly.

            Irritation flickers across her face. “No, I’m just saying my dad didn’t have another kid. I would have known if he did.” She replies.

            I look to Jason, but his gaze doesn’t meet my eyes. I feel like screaming in protest.

            “Thalia, Alaina was just claimed as a child of Zeus earlier today.” Nico says, stepping forward. Thalia’s attention turns to him. She smiles slightly at him and I feel pressure building up in my chest.

            “Nico, how’ve you been? You look so grown up.” She says. I want to scream.

            Nico looks uncomfortable. “Uh, I’ve been okay I guess, but like we said, Alaina’s a child of Zeus. We were actually discussing this before you and the Hunters showed up.”

            Thalia looks troubled by this news. She turns to Chiron. “Chiron, we have a lot to discuss.”

            Chiron nods. “Percy, do you mind showing the Hunters to Cabin Eight?” I’d forgotten Percy was in the room and he was staring at me strangely as he nods in response to Chiron.

            “Actually Chiron, they know which cabin it is. Plus, I need Percy here.” Thalia interrupts. She then turns to the Hunters. “Phoebe, do you mind taking the rest of the Hunters to Artemis’ cabin? Also, try not to burn down anymore cabins or get into fights with the other campers.” The girl, Phoebe nods in response and leads the Hunters out of the room. Percy closes the door behind them.

            Thalia looks back at me as if she wants me to leave too. I stand in the same spot, refusing to leave just because she does not want me there. There’s an awkward tension in the room and everyone seems to notice. Percy speaks first.

            “You said Alaina’s been claimed? By Zeus?” he asks. He’s staring at me.

            “Yes, it happened not that long ago.” Jason replies.

            Thalia scoffs. I narrow my eyes at her.

            “What is your problem with me?” I ask angrily. “I haven’t done anything wrong to you.”

            Thalia glares at me. “You obviously have no idea what your presence means for everyone. Not just here at the camp, but all over the globe. Children of the Big Three cause destruction wherever they go. We’re pawns for the gods.” She replies coldly.

            I don’t know why, but something about her irritates me. “You think I asked to be a daughter of Zeus? I was fine without all of this!”

            Thalia scoffs. “Really now? Was your life as normal as you think it was? Let me guess, you were constantly moving around. Jumping from school to school. You saw things that other people didn’t. You never fit into any clique at school and you were hyperactive. I bet you have dyslexia too. They’re all signs of a demigod. You were _never_ normal to begin with!” Thalia replies angrily.

            “I don’t have dyslexia and I’m not ADHD! Why does everyone keep telling me that I am?” I shout in frustration. Thalia stares at me and that’s when I notice everyone had backed away and were just watching the scene. Blue sparks were flying across my body in an angry pulse. I took a step back in shock. I glance back at Thalia and realize she had been antagonizing me, drawing the powers I didn’t know I had to the surface. “You’re antagonizing me on purpose.” I accuse.

            “You’re untrained, your powers are volatile right now. You’re going to end up causing more harm to everyone around you than you realize. You have no idea what you are.” She replies.

            “Like you do?” I shout back. A spark flicks down my arm and shoots off my hand, heading straight for her. Before it hits her, it dissolves into her silver aura. She fixes her attention on me with a hard stare. I feel someone grab my arm. Instantly, I try to calm down enough to not shock the life out of them. I look back to see it’s Nico.

            “Let’s go get some fresh air.” He suggests, gently tugging at my arm. I’m so shocked by the fact that he’s not throwing an insult at me that I relax and nod. Thalia and I glare at each other once more before I follow Nico out of the room.

            He leads me out to the porch where he leans against the railing. I lean next to him, still fuming with anger which causes small sparks to ripple across my skin.

            “Thalia wasn’t trying to make you mad.” Nico says after a few minutes of silence.

            I look at him in disbelief. “So you’re siding with her too?” I ask.

            He shakes his head and looks down at me. “I’m not siding with anyone.” He replies. His hair is still sticking up in some places. I reach up unconsciously to smooth them down. His body tenses instantly and he watches me as I run my fingers through his hair. I pull my hand back and look away, slightly embarrassed.

            “You didn’t want me to know anything about you.” I say after a few minutes, breaking our silence. I glance quickly at him. His body is tensed and I know this isn’t a subject he wants to discuss. “It’s because you’re a son of Hades right?” I ask taking a guess.

            He looks down at me. “Children of Hades don’t fit in anywhere they go.” Was all he said.

            “Because Hades wasn’t welcome on Olympus. He got the short end of the stick with being the ruler of the Underworld and now everyone stays away.” I say.

            Nico stares at me. “You know too much.”

            “But it’s true, isn’t it? Hades got stuck with the Underworld because Zeus got the sky and the heavens and Poseidon got the, seas so Hades was left with the Underworld. Which kind of sucks if you think about it.”

            Nico looks out across the camp. “Suits him just fine.”

            I sneak another glance at Nico. “Since Hades was considered an outsider, all his children are considered outsiders too.”

            Nico sighs, clearly realizing I’m not going to drop the subject. “I convinced my father to fight in the second Titan war. After which, Hades was finally welcomed on Olympus. Which meant that I was finally welcomed here, at Camp Half-Blood. I was no longer the freak child of Hades.”

            “Except you don’t stay here often.” I guess. Nico looks at me.

            “No, I don’t stay here all that often. Like I said, children of Hades don’t belong anywhere. We float around from place to place.” Nico tells me.

            “Yet somehow you end up back here, where it all started.” I say softly. Nico’s staring at me.

            “Thalia was right in a sense.” He says.

            “About what?” I ask.

            Nico stares at me in a way that makes my skin crawl uncomfortably, but I don’t look away. “Children of the Big Three, they do cause destruction wherever they go, but Thalia left out one part. Sometimes, we’re not all that bad. Take Percy for example, he causes trouble, yeah, but he goes back and tries to clean up his mess. Thalia might have been trying to push you to show your powers, but she was doing it to prove a point. You are volatile and unless you get your powers under control, you may end up causing more harm than good. That prophecy Rachel gave, it didn’t sound good.”

            “What about you? Hades isn’t a horrible guy if he helped his siblings defeat Kronos a second time. That means you can’t be all that bad.” Nico looks away and somehow I know I’m not going to get a response. I switch gears. “Your accent. It’s European.” I frown, trying to think of where it comes from.

            “I’m Italian. I was born in Venice, Italy.” Nico says sharply.

            “Italian, huh?” I say. “So do you speak the language fluently?”

            Nico looks like he’s about to respond when someone runs up to the Big House. I realize it’s Leo and suddenly I remember the promise I made him. I curse under my breath for being so forgetful.

            “Hey, there you are Alaina!” he grins. I smile sheepishly in return.

            “Hey, Leo. Sorry, I kind of forgot to come find you earlier. A lot has happened today.”

            “Not a problem. We can go now before dinner if you want.” He offers.

            I look back at Nico, his expression is hard to read.

            “Go with Valdez, I’ll explain things to Chiron.” He says, looking out across the camp once more.

            “Alright then,” I say, feeling a little upset that my time talking with Nico was cut short. I was so sure he’d been about to tell me more about himself before Leo showed up. _But why does it matter?_ I ask myself. I couldn’t answer that question. “Let’s go, Leo.”

            Leo grins and drags me across the yard. I look back and Nico’s staring at me in a way I can’t decipher.


	17. Bunker Nine

            Leo leads me past the cabins and around the arena towards the woods. I stop before entering. Leo turns around and his smile dips.

            “What’s wrong, Alaina?” he asks.

            “That’s the woods, Leo.” I say.

            He glances behind him and looks back at me.

            “Yeah…” he draws out the word.

            “We have to go into the _woods_ to see whatever it is you’re going to show me?” I ask.

            “Yeah, I didn’t think about that. Maybe I should have mentioned it to you before…” Leo says, thinking aloud.

            “You think? Under different circumstances this would be extremely scary.” I tease. His face pales once he realizes what I mean.

            “No-no! I wasn’t…I…Uh…” Leo stutters and blushes red. I laugh and lightly shove his shoulder.

            “I was joking! Lighten up. So, what is it you want to show me?” I laugh. He recovers but the tips of his ears are still pink from embarrassment.

            “Come on, I’ll show you.” He walks into the woods and I hesitate before following him. He leads me deep into the woods and I try not to trip over tree roots and foliage.

            “So you’re not going to tell me where we’re going until we get there, huh?” I ask.

            “Nope.” He responds, leading me deeper into the woods. We crossed a stream and came to a dead end. A wall of limestone loomed in front of us. Leo turns around to face me, a smile creeping on to his face. I stare at the wall behind him.

            “This is a dead end.” I say. Leo laughs.

            “It’s not a dead end.” He replies. I’m about to ask him what he means when he turns back around. I watch as Leo places his hand on the limestone wall. His fingers start to smolder and lines of fire spread from his fingertips and sizzled along the limestone.

            “Leo…” I say, backing up several steps. The fiery lines combine to outline a glowing red door that was way larger than it should have been for a regular human. Leo takes a few steps back and the door swings open silently. Leo turns back and smiles at me. I don’t know what to think.

            Light flickers on and I see that they come from both fluorescents and wall-mounted torches. The space in front of me was about the size of an airplane hangar. In the middle of the cave was a large circular platform. Worktables and storage cages were lined in endless rows. There were rows of garaged-sized doors along either side of the cavern.

            Looking up, I saw staircases connecting to a network of catwalks high above our heads. Amongst the catwalks was a large banner with the words Bunker 9 written in Greek. I gape in shock as I take in the rest of my surroundings. Everything you would see in any forge or mechanic shop was here. Plus, the walls were lined with weapons, armor, and shields.

            “This place is wicked cool.” I say in astonishment. Leo’s smiling so wide, I fear for a second his face is going to get stuck that way.

            “You should have seen it before. It was a mess, I mean, well it’s still a mess, but it hadn’t been used in _years_. Everything was so dusty and old.” Leo rambles. I walk around the cave in amazement. This place was like heaven on earth for a Hephaestus kid, which is probably why Leo was so proud of it. “Festus actually lead me to this place.”

            “Who’s Festus?” I ask, looking back at Leo.

            “My dragon. Or well, he used to be my dragon. Now the only thing left is his head.” Leo says.

            “My attention immediately snaps to Leo. “Dragon? Percy mentioned you having a dragon too.”

            Leo looks at me curiously. “Yeah, I had a bronze dragon except he kind of fell apart three years ago, so all I have left is his head.”

            I’m disappointed for a moment. “So, Festus wasn’t a real _live_ dragon?” I ask.

            “No, he was more of an automaton. Real dragons are much more of a hassle.” Leo says.

            “But Leo! I want a _real_ dragon.” I pout. Leo laughs.

            “The best I can do is make you and automaton replica of Festus.” Leo offers, amusement dancing across his eyes.

            “Deal!” I say excitedly making Leo laugh. I laugh too. “Okay, so this place is really awesome and everything,” I say glancing around the large cavern again. “But why are you showing it to me? I mean, I love it, but it’s more like a Hephaestus scene than a Zeus one.” I glance at Leo.

            He fidgets nervously. “Well, I was kind of hoping that you could help me with some projects I have. I could always use an extra set of hands and my half-siblings…well, they don’t really understand how to use the Archimedes sphere as well as I do and all so they just let me do my own thing.”

            I didn’t notice before, but Leo had on a tool belt. He reaches into his tool belt and brings out some material with which he starts building something small. I’m a little shocked by his offer for me to help him.

            “I’d love to help you, Leo.” I say smiling proudly at him. “Maybe tomorrow you can teach me about this Archimedes sphere and how to use it. My only request is we have music. I work better with music playing.”

            Leo smiles widely at me. “That can be arranged.” I smile in return. “Alright, come on Lightning, let’s get out of here.” Leo turns away and I freeze up. _Lightning._ I mentally face palm. Leo still had no idea I was a child of Zeus. Now I was fidgeting.

            “Leo…I need to tell you something.” I look away from him and I run my hands over the contents of the table next to me. I pick up a random circular disk, trying to avoid meeting Leo’s eyes. I wasn’t sure how to tell him. The disk’s electrical contents looked fried. I lightly touch the charred electrics and am struck by a vision of falling out of the sky on a bronze dragon. I gasp in shock and drop the disk. It falls back onto the table. I back up in shock, my leg hitting another table. I reach out to steady myself and I see a child being engulfed by flames. I fall backwards and Leo’s rushing towards me.

            He kneels down in front of me, but I barely see him. It’s like part of me is there, knowing Leo’s trying to calm me down and I’m telling him not to touch me repeatedly and another part of me is choking back sobs as I see a lady in a black shawl watching a child’s burning hands be melded into a picnic table. I feel Leo’s hand on my shoulder and I’m pulled back into reality for long enough to see the confused and concerned look on Leo’s face before blacking out completely.


	18. Truth Be Told

            I wake up groggy and on a cold metal surface. I blink a few times before looking around. I see Leo pacing nervously a few feet away. He’s muttering under his breath and in his hands he’s putting together a small metal toy. I sit up slowly and realize I’m still in Bunker Nine. I was laying on the platform I’d seen when I first walked in.

            “Leo…” I croak. My voice sounds rough and scratchy.

            He spins around, dropping whatever he was tinkering with in the process and rushes over to me. “Thank the gods, you’re alright.” He kneels down next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. His brown eyes stare into my blue ones. “What happened? You started freaking out and then passed out.” Leo’s face held nothing but concern.

            “I…I-“ I sigh. _Maybe I should tell him._ I think to myself. _No, he’ll just judge you, after all, you’re just the new girl here._ I shake my head. It was better if I tell him now. “Leo…I-I have panic attacks…” I pause.

            His brow furrows. “That I know, but why?”

            I take a deep breath and look down at my shaking hands. “I don’t know why I get them…they…they usually don’t act up this bad. Actually, they’ve _never_ been this frequent. When I do get them though…I-I see things…horrible things.” I stop again. I don’t know why.

            “Alaina, they can’t be that horrible.” Leo tries to comfort. I glance at him quickly before looking away again.

            “I see these horrible images and it causes me to panic even more and then I eventually pass out from the terror.” My eyes start to water and my entire body is trembling. _You’re not as strong as you think you are._ “And then when I pass out, the visions don’t stop. They’re more vivid. It’s like I’m dreaming about the past of people, all the terrible things that have happened. And I can’t….I can’t stop it. And it’s terrifying and consuming. I just want it all to stop and it won’t. I’m pretty sure I’m going insane.” The tears spill over as I continue. “Then there are these voices I keep hearing, so I know for sure I’m hallucinating. And then I’m brought here, and things just get worse. Now I’ve been claimed and I’m starting to get all these uncontrollable powers. I’m only going to end up hurting someone.” I start sobbing.

            It’s silent for a minute before Leo gently rubs my back. He’s not saying anything, but I figure that’s only because I’ve dropped a huge bomb on him. I calm down after a few minutes and risk a look at Leo. He’s not looking at me with pity or sympathy, but with understanding.

            “Alaina, we’re going to help you. You’re not going insane. We’ll find some way to cure whatever it is that’s doing this to you. I promise.” Leo says this so fiercely, that I almost believe him. Except, I know that there’s nothing that can help me. “We’ll talk to Rachel, maybe…maybe she knows something about these voices. Or…we can try and get in contact with your mother again.” Leo brainstorms.

            “Leo, my mother said not to get in contact with her again…I don’t even know if I can…” I trail off.

            Leo looks at me with such intensity, that I know for sure he’s not going to just give up on this. “We’ll find a way, Alaina.” He says. I nod in response, not trusting myself to speak. He sighs. “You mention these visions. What did you see before you passed out?” Leo’s eyes show curiosity.

            I exhale sharply and close my eyes. “I…I saw a baby…in flames. A baby in a fire. I-I also saw a child and a lady in a black shawl. The kid…his hands…they were on fire. They were burning right through a picnic table.” I open my eyes and look at Leo, expecting him to say that it was ridiculous, but Leo was looking down at the ground. “Leo?” I ask.

            He sighs. “Guess we both have secrets huh?” He says looking up at me with sorrow and pain written all over his face.

            “I don’t-“ I didn’t get to finish because Leo raises his hand in front of me and it instantly bursts into flames. I stare at his hand and even though the fire extinguishes, I still see the red-orange tendrils wrapped around his hand. I gently take his hand and turn it over. There wasn’t even one small trace that his hand had been on fire a few seconds ago. I look at him and he’s waiting for my response. “That kid I saw…it was you, wasn’t it?”

            Leo nods. “Hera was the lady in the black shawl.”

            I wrinkle my brow in thought. “Hera? Like the goddess Hera?” Leo nods. “How was that possible?”

            Leo fidgets and I let go of his hand. “I’m a child of Hephaestus, remember?” Leo tries to joke.

            “Leo, children of Hephaestus can’t set themselves on fire at will.” I reply.

            “You’re right. It shouldn’t be possible, but…it’s a very rare ability and it usually means something horrible is going to happen when a child with that ability is born.” Leo says.

            “But, nothing horrible has happened.” I say.

            Leo laughs without humor. “You have no idea what has already happened. Anyway, you mentioned that you’ve been claimed….?” Leo finishes off his sentence as a question.

            I look down. I didn’t want to tell him. Then again, Leo was being very understanding, and I needed that right about now. I take a deep breath and meet his eyes. “I’m a daughter of Zeus.” I say cautiously.

            Leo whistles. “Daughter of Zeus, huh? Guess your nickname is sticking now.” I know Leo’s trying to make light of the situation, so I force a smile.

            “Guess you knew all along.” I teased.

            “Nah, I just took a wild guess. It makes sense though.”

            I smile at Leo and he smiles back. I feel extremely lucky to have him as a friend right now. I had been worrying about nothing, Leo wasn’t just going to run away screaming because I was a daughter of Zeus with some uncontrollable powers. _Don’t get too comfortable with this detail._ My smile dissolved and Leo noticed.

            “Are you okay, Aliana?” he asks.

            I shake my head. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just…I’m just a little hungry is all.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.

            “Come on, it has to be close to dinner time.” Leo helps me up and as if on cue, a horn sounds from far off.

            “We’re so going to be late.” I joke.

            “Nah, we’ll make it.” Leo smiles and pulls me out of the bunker. We race towards the dining pavilion. I stumble over the occasional tree root and practically tumble out of the woods. Leo reaches out to steady me and we laugh. He pulls me towards the dining pavilion and we stop running when we get close enough, seeing the other campers trudging slowly towards the open pavilion. “Looks like we aren’t late.” Leo jokes.

            I laugh in response. I smile at him until I look behind him and see Nico standing about ten feet away. His face is masked with no emotion and for some reason my heart beats a little faster. Our eyes meet for a moment before he turns away. My stomach is in knots and I no longer feel like smiling or laughing with Leo. I see Chiron motioning for me to come forward. I swallow the lump in my throat and excuse myself from Leo, walking slowly to Chiron. And it feels like I’m walking to my death.


	19. Party at Table Hades

            I feel everyone’s eyes on me as I walk to the front of the pavilion. I stand next to Chiron and I know what’s coming next. I was about to be proclaimed the daughter of Zeus in front of everyone. _Zeus, if you can hear me please don’t do anything embarrassing like that black lightning bolt from before. Please?_ I silently pray. Chiron shushes everyone before speaking. I stare out across the sea of campers, trying not to focus on the fact that everyone is staring at me.

            “Quiet down, everyone.” Chiron’s booming voice proclaims. “Our newest camper, Alaina has been claimed as a daughter of Zeus.” Before Chiron could continue, there was a cumulative gasp from every camper. I wince. _Of course I can’t be that lucky._ I think bitterly and look up to see the same lightning bolt shimmering between black and gold above my head. I notice the hunters are all sitting at Artemis’ table. They don’t say anything but I notice the grim looks on their faces. Thalia, of course, is sitting next to Jason at Zeus’ table.

            That’s when all Hades broke loose. Campers started whispering, conversing with each other about why the lightning bolt was black and not gold. I blush and look down at my feet. Chiron calls for order once more and it takes a few minutes before everyone calms down. This was exactly what I feared would happen when I was claimed in front of everyone. Chiron looks at me as if he already knows my fate and I know it can’t be good. I look away out of embarrassment.

            “You may be seated at Zeus’ table with Jason and Thalia.” Chiron says. I hurry to the table and sit down. I bury my head in arms, so embarrassed. “Now, as you all know the Hunters of Artemis are here,” There was a grumbling among the campers at this. “They will be staying until Saturday, which means Capture the Flag will be played in the form of the Hunters against our campers. The game is set for Friday night at seven sharp. That concludes my announcements for the night. Enjoy your dinner.”

            No one speaks for a minute and I’m still too embarrassed to look up. Finally, everyone seems to go back to their normal conversations with the occasional question about me or the lightning bolt. Neither Jason nor Thalia speaks to me, submerging themselves in their own conversation, and I don’t know if I’m thankful or saddened by this. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I risk the glance up. It’s Leo.

            “You didn’t mention the whole black lightning bolt thing.” He whispers.

            “I didn’t know that was so important.” I whisper back, my stomach in a knot from the lie I just told him. Leo was one of the only people who seemed like they actually cared about my feelings, not the fact that I was a strange new girl with weird powers.

            Leo doesn’t say anything for a minute and I glance across the pavilion. Nico is sitting at a table by himself and he’s staring at the exchange between Leo and myself.

            “I’ll be back.” I say to Leo and stand up before I can rethink my choice. Thalia and Jason don’t say anything as I leave and walk slowly towards Nico. He doesn’t look up when I sit down across from him. “You know something.” I state. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence.

            I stare at him, taking in the fact that he looks really pale to be the same kid that I’d seen in my visions. His hair was darker and shaggier, falling into his eyes. The warm brown eyes I’d seen in the boy from my vision were replaced by a hard and standoffish gaze. He wore a plain black t-shirt which was way different from the bright orange shirt everyone wore at camp. His pants were also black and they had a chain belt where his sword hung from. He wore an aviator jacket, which I’m sure he rarely took off, especially now since it was turning to winter.

            Finally, Nico looks up at me. “Why are you here?” he asks simply.

            “You keep staring at me. You know something and you’re not telling me it.” I reply.

            He glares at me and I feel my heart constrict. _So we’re back to this stage._ “I don’t stare at you, and I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He answers in a clipped tone.

             “Fine. Tell me about your family then. What are they like?” I ask, irritated with him for withholding information, but not wanting to push him overboard.

            “My sister and my mother are dead and you already know Hades is my father. There’s nothing to tell.” Nico says slowly.

            I spin a fork around the table. “Do you remember your mother?” I ask, not looking at Nico. He’s silent for a moment.

            “No. Not really anyways. My sister and I were bathed in the river Lethe after she died to erase all of our memories.” Nico says cautiously.

            I look at him and he’s staring at me with distrust and it makes me wonder just how badly he’s been hurt. “So you don’t even remember what she looks like?” I ask softly.

            He looks away and doesn’t respond. After a few moments I think he’s not going to respond and I open my mouth to change subjects when he answers,

            “I didn’t remember her for a long time. I finally saw her ghost a few years ago…Her name was Maria.” Nico’s voice wavers.

            “That’s a beautiful name.” I say, staring at him. Nico looks like he’s struggling to keep his emotions in check and I wonder when was the last time he actually talked to someone about his family. “Do you miss them? Your mother and sister I mean.”

            “Yeah.” Nico says softly.

            “What about Hades?” I ask. Nico picks at the food on his plate before answering.

            “He’s okay I guess. He’s more accepting of me now then he used to be. I guess I kind of understand him more now than when I first found out he was my father.”

            I nod. I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to grow up without a mother and father. My mom was the only thing that kept me from going off the deep end. My eyes started to water at the thought that I would no longer get to see her. I looked down and blinked my eyes rapidly to get rid of the tears.

            “Look, this news about you being Zeus’ daughter, it’s not going to go away. It’s only going to get worse from here. You’re the child of one of the big three, you’re going to have uncontrollable powers and you’re going to have to learn how to harness them.” Nico says.

            “You think I would have noticed being able to shock people with lightning ages ago.” I say, jokingly.

            “You mentioned your mother made you take pills, maybe they suppressed your powers somehow.” Nico thinks aloud.

            “I don’t know.” I say hesitantly. “Is that even possible? To suppress powers for such a long time?”

            Nico thinks it over. “It’s not impossible…but I’ve never seen or heard about it happening before.” He says slowly.

            I sigh in response. I watch as Nico goes back to picking at his dinner. “You should eat. Picking at your food isn’t good for you.” I say.

            Nico looks at me. “You’re one to talk, you aren’t even eating.”

            I shrug. “I don’t feel like it.”

            “And I don’t feel like it either.” He says. I smile at him and I see a little bit of amusement dancing across his eyes.

            “Is everything alright here?” A new voice asks. I look up to see Percy and Annabeth seating themselves down at the table. Percy sat down next to Nico and Annabeth sat next to me. Nico scoots a few inches away from Percy, but Percy doesn’t notice.

            “Yeah, everything’s okay here.” I say. “Why are you guys always doing this?”

            “Doing what?” Percy asks, looking up from his plate.

            “Interrupting.” I say plainly. Percy gives me a weird look, like he doesn’t understand what I mean.

            “Are you participating in capture the flag on Friday?” Annabeth asks suddenly. I turn to her.

            “I want to…”” I say slowly, wondering why she changed the subject.

            “Good, we can use someone like you against the Hunters.” She says.

            “Especially since we’ve never won against them. Every time they’re here we lose.” Percy adds glumly.

            “You said ‘someone like me’…did you mean because I’m a daughter of Zeus with strange and uncontrollable powers?” I ask Annabeth.

            “No. We can use you as bait. The Hunters think you don’t know how to use your powers yet-“ Annabeth starts.

            “Which is true.” I interrupt.

            “Now who’s interrupting?” Percy intercepts.

            “Still you.” I retort.

            “Anyway,” Annabeth says. “If we can get them under control, then we’ll have the upper hand. They’ll still think you’re useless. No offense.”

            “But it’s already Tuesday. There’s no way I’d be able to get whatever powers I may possess under control in three days.” I say.

            “That’s where Jason comes into play. He’s a child of Zeus, he can help you control the lightning and the air.” Annabeth says excitedly.

            I look back to Zeus’ table. Leo had moved back to the Hephaestus table but Jason and Thalia were sitting close to each other whispering frantically.

            “I think that Jason isn’t at our disposal. He’s seems a bit preoccupied with Thalia.” I say.

            “It’s just Thalia, they’re siblings and they haven’t seen each other in a long time.” Percy says.

            “Yeah, just Thalia, who happens to hate me if you haven’t noticed.” I say bitterly.

            “She doesn’t hate you, she just doesn’t have strong feelings of the liking for you. Can I sit?” Piper asks, jumping right into the conversation.

            I scoot over to make room for her.

            “Is this ‘eat dinner at Hades’ table night’? Because I didn’t send out that memo.” Nico says.

            “Blame Alaina, she started it.” Percy jokes.

            “Way to sell me out.” I tease. “But seriously, Thalia would probably come after me during the game.”

            “That’s what I’m hoping for. She’s going to want to see what else you can do, so she’ll probably be too preoccupied with you to be guarding the flag herself.” Annabeth explains.

            “So Alaina’s bait for Thalia and without Thalia leading the Hunters, it’ll be easy to get the flag.” Piper hypothesizes.

            “Not easy, but not as difficult either.” Percy revises.

            “So the only thing I’m good at is being bait for people?” I ask.

            “Well, you’d have to keep her busy, which means try and get under her skin without letting her get under yours.” Annabeth directs.

            “So I’m just there to provoke her?” I clarify.

            “You have a knack for provoking people.” Nico says. I stare at him, wondering if what he says has a double meaning.

            “Only if they start it.” I shoot back. For a second, I think I imagine a ghost of a smile on Nico’s face. Nico scowls at something behind me and a moment later Leo plops down right next to Nico, squishing him next to Percy, which he seems even more uncomfortable with.

            “You guys were having a party here without me!” Leo fake whines.

            “It’s not a party, Valdez.” Nico grumbles, trying not to touch either boy. I stifle a laugh. Leo acts like he doesn’t hear Nico. He leans from across the table to get close to me and whispers loud enough for everyone at the table to hear,

            “Death Breath over here doesn’t like people crowding him.” Leo points at Nico as he says this.

            There’s a two second pause before everyone at the table bursts into laughter. Nico sits there fuming. Once I’m calm enough to form a sentence I ask,

            “Death Breath?”

            Everyone gets thrown into another fit of laughter. Nico stands up angrily, his knuckles turning white.

            “Lighten up, di Angelo.” Leo says. “It was just a joke.”

            “Watch what you say, Valdez.” Nico growls in anger. Suddenly the mood is dark and I realize everyone else is watching the scene unfold. Nico seems to notice this too, so he glares at us all and leaves. Without hesitation I get up and chase after him, ignoring the calls to come back from everyone still at the table.

            “Nico! Nico, hold up!” I call after him. He doesn’t even stop walking. I follow him to the cabins and rush ahead to block his cabin door.

            “Move.” He says, clearly still angry.

            “It was a _joke_ , Nico. Leo wasn’t trying to anger you.” I say.

            “You have no room to talk, Alaina. _You_ don’t know anything. You’re just the freak new girl that showed up at camp.” Nico sneers. _Was he trying to hurt me?_

            I laugh bitterly, covering up the pain I felt in my heart.

            “You’re right, di Angelo. I _am_ a freak. I’m _still_ the freak, but you know what? That’s _okay_. I don’t _need_ people. I don’t _need_ to pretend to be something I’m not. I’m still _likable_ just the way I am. I may not know anything about all of you here, but I _know_ about people and I can take a hint.” I snap back.

            “Then take the hint, Alaina.” He says coldly.

            I shove past him and stop at the foot of the cabin stairs.

            “You’re such an asshole, Nico. It’s no wonder why people avoid you. It’s not your father they’re afraid of, it’s you.” I turn on my heels and walk to the Zeus cabin, my new home. Three lightning bolts flash across the doors, two of them gold the third was a black lightning bolt. I hold my breath and throw open the doors to my new cabin.


	20. Putting On a Show

            I lean against the cold bronze door for support. My head was reeling at the moment and I had trouble with just thinking. My breath came out in ragged gasps. I was stupid to think that I could make any sort of friends here. I slide down on the door. _What is the matter with me? Why can’t I take the hint?_  I think sadly. _Because you’re too stubborn, that’s why._ I sigh, small sparks were dancing across my hands. _I’m a freak of nature._ I think bitterly. I close my hands into fists. _I will not live in this self-pity. I won’t let this control me._ I stand up roughly and look around.

There weren’t any bunks in this cabin, just a cold marble floor with a statue of Zeus in the middle. The domed ceiling was a moving mosaic of a cloudy sky with flashing lightning bolts. Every once in a while a black lightning bolt would flash into view for a brief second before disappearing behind a cloud. The entire cabin seemed to rumble with power and it felt like it was sparked with electricity. There were six alcoves running along the each of side walls, twelve in all, with a bronze eagle brazier in each one.

            It looks like one of the braziers had already been moved out of its alcove enough for someone to shove a sleeping bag and a pillow there. I figure that was where Jason slept and I decided that it was a good idea to do the same thing. I walk to the opposite side though and struggle at pulling the heavy brazier out of its place. Somehow I manage and then I realize I didn’t have anything to put in the alcove.

            As if on cue, there’s a knock on the bronze door. I walk over to the door and open it to see Annabeth standing there. She’s holding a sleeping bag and some clothes in her hands.

            “Can I come in?” she asks. I’m too stunned to answer so I just nod and move out of the way. She walks into the cabin and I close the door behind her. “You know, I’ve been here since I was seven and I’ve never even set foot into Zeus’ cabin.” She says, turning to look back at me.

            “There’s not much to see….just a rather intimidating statue and some braziers.” I say awkwardly. Annabeth was the last person I’d ever expect to be talking to right now.

            “Yeah, but the ceiling and the columns….so wow…” she glances over at me and notices my confused expression. “I want to be an architect.” She adds.

            I nod. “I guess that’s cool.”

            There’s awkward silence for a few minutes before Annabeth jolts to attention, suddenly re-realizing the reason she’d came in the first place. “I thought you might need these. Jason and Thalia have both mentioned how there are no bunks in Zeus’ cabin so I figured you’d be in the same boat.” Annabeth hands me the sleeping bag and clothes. I stare at them in amazement.

            “You were the one who left me new clothes on the day I woke up.” I say. Annabeth nods. “Thank you…but why? I thought you hated me.”

            Annabeth shakes her head. “I don’t hate you…you’re just…different than the other campers here. Everyone can sense it, but we don’t know what it is that’s different about you yet.”

            “So it’s not that fact that I’m a daughter of Zeus that makes me different?” I ask.

            Annabeth hesitates. “No, when I met Thalia and Jason they didn’t have the same sense that I get when you’re around. It’s really frustrating, not knowing what it is honestly.”

            I bite my bottom lip. “I wish I could tell you what it is, but I don’t even know. I was always the freak wherever I went, and now here I don’t even exhibit the traits that are common amongst people like me. I’m even more of an outsider here than I was out in the real world.” I sigh in defeat.

            “You’re not a freak, being different isn’t always a bad thing.” Annabeth tries to consol.

            “Yeah, I guess. Well, thanks for the supplies, I needed them. I think it’s time to sleep though, I’m exhausted.” I say.

            ”Don’t mention it, and get some sleep then. You’ll definitely need all the training you can get before Friday.” Annabeth says. She waves goodbye and leaves me alone in the cabin once more. I sigh and set up the sleeping bag in the new nook and crawl in. Sleep comes easily and, for once, I don’t dream up any nightmares.

            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~                            ~~~

            I wake up a little disoriented, almost causing myself a panic attack before I remember the events of last night. I felt like a weight was being pressed on my chest. I rub the sleep from my eyes and look around. No one else was in the cabin with me and I felt a pang of sadness. _Of course Jason was probably with Thalia._ Then I felt guilty that I was jealous over the fact that everyone seemed to prefer Thalia over me. _You’re just the freak daughter of Zeus._ A voice whispers in my mind. _Shut up._ I sigh, I was even having mental conversations with myself. I stretch and get up, changing clothes and walking outside.

            The sun blinds me for a moment and I realize it had to be sometime close to noon. I walk towards the arena, not knowing where I was supposed to be at the moment. As I get closer, I hear the sounds of a battle taking place. I hang out on the side of the arena and watch Jason and Percy fight. Both boys seemed to know what the other was going to do before they struck.

            Every time one of them tried to be offensive, the other would deflect the blow easily. I wondered how often the two of them fought together. They seemed so comfortable around each other. I scan the stands and see Annabeth and Piper sitting next to each other watching the fight below. Annabeth looks up and meets my eyes, she waves me over. I quickly scan the rest of the arena before moving. Thalia was sitting a few rows behind Annabeth and Piper and her gaze was currently focused on me, I shook off the feeling I got just from looking at her. I was surprised to see Nico leaning against the wall on the other side of the arena, watching the fight from a distance. His gaze wasn’t trained on me, but somehow I knew that he knew I was watching. His hand twitched slightly under my gaze and I look away quickly. I walk towards Annabeth and sit down next to Piper.

            “Hey, Alaina.” Piper says quickly before wincing as Percy finally lands a blow to Jason’s chest.

            Annabeth watches me for a minute before speaking. “Maybe you should try to fight Jason today. That would be an interesting battle, two children of Zeus against each other.”

            Piper looks up curiously for a minute before turning her attention back to the fight below. I smile shyly.

            “I don’t know. I don’t think I could get lucky twice with the whole sword fighting thing.” I say.

            “Nonsense. I would love to see an actual fight. Jason and Percy know each other’s moves too well. They’ve trained together too much to be able to actually land a hit on the other.”

            I bite my lip and turn my attention to the fight below. Annabeth was right, Jason and Percy were failing miserably at landing attacks on each other. I could tell they were getting tired of fighting. Finally they just stopped all together and glared at each other for a minute before breaking into grins.

            “I think Alaina should get a chance to go against Jason.” Thalia calls out. I turn around and she’s standing up. Her face is expressionless but she’s staring at me. I look back down to Percy and Jason, they exchange a look before Jason calls out,

            “Why not? You up for the challenge, Alaina?”

            Now everyone’s staring at me and I fidget, mulling over the idea. I bite my bottom lip before replying, “Why not.” I stand up and hastily walk down the stairs. Percy hands me the sword I used yesterday and I take it gingerly.

            “You’ll do fine.” Percy reassures me. I glance at Jason, he’s taller which means his defense will be weaker. He’s also stronger which means his offense will be stronger than mine. I bite my bottom lip. At least Percy tired him out some.

            Jason flashes me a smile. “You just gonna stand there all day or are we going to fight?”

            I smile back in response. “You’re going down, Grace.” I shoot back.

            His smile widens. “Someone’s a little cocky.” He teases.

            I shake my head. “Confidence is ignorance.” I say.

            Jason laughs and lunges at me. I quickly move out of the way.

            “Light on your feet, aren’t you?” he jokes before moving towards me again. I slide to the right, successfully dodging his advance. He tries circling around me, looking for an opening. I lift my sword and move so Jason is always in my line of vision.

            Jason swings his sword to my left arm and I quickly deflect it. Spinning inward and slashing a cut on his arm quickly, then spinning away before he had a chance to recover. He’s no longer smiling, instead his brow is furrowed in confusion. I use this to my advantage and take a moment to swing my sword towards his leg. He deflects it easily, throwing a lot of force into the sword. I stumble backwards.

            Jason gets close and tries to cut my right arm. My sword meets his and electricity sparks from the blade. Surprise ripples across Jason’s face and I throw as much force as I can into a blow to Jason’s chest. He stumbles and I swipe my sword at his feet. He trips trying to back up out of range and I sneak a quick gash on his right arm. I move out of range and wait for him to get up.

            His face is expressionless as he goes in for an attack. I swing my sword up to meet his and he kicks my knee. I fall to the ground on one knee, but quickly move out of the way. Rolling to the right and coming up on one knee. I dart to the left and Jason chases after me. I spin around quickly and stab at his leg before he can react. He grunts in pain and stumbles out of range. He tries to circle around me again and this time I look for openings is in his guard.

            Jason lunges forward and manages to create a shallow gash in my right arm before I could react. I narrow my eyes at Jason. He’s analyzing my movements. I run forward for a second and just as Jason lifts his sword to become offensive I drop to the ground and stab at his armpit, rolling away. Jason’s sword drops out of his hand in response. I take the opportunity to finish him off.

            I roughly slam the hilt of my sword into the spot between his shoulder blades and he crumples to his knees, gasping in pain. I hold the tip of my blade against the back of his neck. Small blue sparks erupt across the blade of my sword. Jason and I are both breathing heavy from the fight. I remove my sword from his neck and step back, letting the tip touch the ground. That’s when I notice my hands were sparking from the fight.

            Jason gets up slowly and I notice Thalia was walking towards us, her expression grim. Annabeth and Piper were standing up in the stands and Nico was watching me curiously.

            “That was some fight.” Thalia says when she reaches us.

            “I suppose.” I reply.

            “Were you specifically looking to put on that much of a show?” Thalia asks coldly.

            My face scrunches up in confusion and I notice Jason also looks confused.

            “What are you talking about?” I ask.

            “Your aura. What angle are you playing at?” Thalia gets in my face. I step back.

            “Thalia stop. She doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” Nico says, approaching us slowly.

            Thalia turns on him. “So you see it too?” she demands.

            Nico hesitates before nodding.

            “Can someone please explain to me what is going on?” I demand. A spark flickers across my arm.

            “Hey, is everything alright here?” Annabeth asks, approaching us with Percy and Piper at her heels.

            “Yeah, everything’s fine.” Thalia says, Nico nods in agreement. They both glare at Jason and myself as if daring us to correct them. I clamp my mouth shut, afraid I’ll say something rude in response. Annabeth looks between the four of us and furrows her brow.

            “If we’re done here, I think I’m just going to go.” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. I try and hand Percy back the sword but he shakes his head.

            “Keep it, you’re going to need it anyways.” He says.

            I nod in response and walk away. It takes a lot of effort to walk away calmly and once I’m out of sight, I bolt. I run back to the cabins, trying to ease my racing mind. I stop running as I approach the cabins. I walk into Zeus’ cabin and lean my new sword against the wall of my alcove and grab some stuff to go shower. Once I’m done, I think about what Leo said yesterday about my visions. _Maybe Rachel would know something._ I think. I hesitate for a minute though before making up my mind. _I think it’s due time to visit the oracle._


	21. Visiting the Oracle

            I trudge slowly to the Big House. Part of me was eager to speak to Rachel and maybe get some answers finally, the other part of me was afraid of what I would find. The way everyone was acting when they were around me was enough to raise some red flags. I walk even slower as the Big House looms into view, the wind picks up slightly and I shiver. I stand on the porch of the Big House, rethinking my decision when the door suddenly swings open.

            A taller man with a round belly stands in the entrance. He’s wearing a leopard-skin shirt and walking shorts that showed perhaps a bit too much leg. He wore sandals with purple socks and his cheeks were rosy red as if the man had had a little too much to drink the night before.

            I stumble back in surprise and he regards me suspiciously.

            “Who are you?” he asks shortly. He looks me over. “You’re new here aren’t you?” He adds before I can respond. “A daughter of Zeus too, eh?” He stares at me in a scrutinizing way. “Well?” he prompts.

            “Alaina. My name is Alaina Spearing and I am a daughter of Zeus. Are you Dionysus?” I ask, suddenly remembering he’s supposed to run the camp.

            “The one and only.” He says.  “What are you doing here though?” he demands.

            “I-I was looking for Rachel, the oracle.” I stumble over my words.

            The gods’ eyes soften for a moment. “You shall find her on the second floor near the attic.” Dionysus says, waving me off. He walks out onto the porch.

            “Thanks.” I say and dart inside. Right before the door clangs shut I thought I could hear him muttering to himself.

            “ _You’ve outdone yourself again, Lord Zeus_.” He sighs. “ _So pure and innocent, soon to be overpowered by darkness. Why must it always be the young ones that die?”_

            I try to push that thought out of my head and rush up the stairs, desperate to find Rachel now. I walk down the second floor hallway, unsure if I was even heading in the right direction. I pause for a moment and hear music playing from a room at the far end of the hall. I head towards it.

            The door is slightly ajar, but I still knock politely. I wait for a response. It’s almost a full minute before the door swings open, the music shutting off in the process. Rachel is standing there with her bright green eyes and frizzy red hair. Freckles are scattered across her face. She’s slightly taller than me and this is the first time I realize she has to be about the same age and Percy and Annabeth. She analyzes me for a moment before saying anything.

            “What’s up?” she asks curiously, leaning against the doorframe.

            “I-I need some advice…and answers…since I’ve woken up, everyone’s been hiding something from me and…and I just want to know what it is.” My voice breaks as I speak and I look away. I hated looking weak.

            “Come inside, the walls have ears. Be forewarned though, the answers you seek may not be the ones you want to hear.” Rachel’s tone is dark as she steps aside to allow me into her room.

            “So you do know something!” I exclaim, turning to look at her. She closes the door and looks back at me. She nods slowly.

            “Sometimes, you’re better off not knowing.” She says. She walks over to her bed and sits down. I look around her room, it’s a nice sky blue color with purple carpet on the ground. Her bed is a deep shade of red and her walls hold various photos and paintings. Her dresser is a lime green color and I wonder if she purposely tries not to match anything in her room. “Come sit.” She says patting the spot on the bed next to her.

            I slowly approach and sit down carefully, trying to avoid looking at Rachel, who’s analyzing my every move.

            “So what is it you wanted to know?” Rachel asks carefully.

            “I think you already know.” I answer.

            “I have a guess.” Rachel says slowly.

             “Thalia and Nico both know something…something they’re keeping from me. They both keep mentioning my aura though. Plus, I’m not dyslexic or ADHD like practically everyone else here. Then…I-I have these visions and Leo said maybe you could help.” I stumble over my words as all my fears tumble out. I look to Rachel desperately, I needed something, some kind of answer.

            Rachel looks like she’s debating with herself. “Hold out your hand.” She says after a few moments of silence.

            I oblige and hold my hand out. Rachel timidly takes it and I notice her hands were as cold as ice. She closes her eyes and hums softly to herself. I sit silently there and then all of a sudden Rachel’s entire body goes stiff.

            “Rachel…?” I ask hesitantly. I gasp suddenly as my vision darkens. I try to scream, but the sound is ripped from my throat. I feel a pulling sensation and suddenly I’m no longer in Rachel’s room, instead I’m standing on my old elementary school’s playground. I look around in panic, but no one is around.

            A white mist swirls around me and the scene in front of me changes. The playground is no longer bare and little kids are running around screaming and laughing. I see my younger self sitting by the fence. I walk slowly over to her and notice she is digging a hole next to the fence. She glances around a few times before continuing, sticking her tongue out as she digs with her hands.

            I watch her in awe, a memory starts flickering the back of my mind…little me gasps and my eyes look to what she sees. A man was kneeling by the fence, hissing at her. She crawls backwards a few feet and says,

            “Bad doggie.”

            I stare at her confused before looking back to the man. I was surprised to see a dog-seal hybrid there, it growls at younger me and she shrieks in terror and starts to cry. My old art teacher rushes over and kneels down next to me.

            “What’s wrong, Alaina?” she asks, her voice full of concern.

            Little me sniffles a few times before pointing to the telekhine. “Doggie makes hissing sounds.”

            My old art teacher glances at the telekhine, her eyes flashing silver for a moment. The telekhine snarls and touches the fence, instantly bursting into yellow dust. Little me whimpers. “There’s no dog, Alaina.” She says slowly, staring intently at little me. Little me stares at her for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

            “No doggie.” She says slowly.

            “Come now, let’s go inside.” My old art teacher grabs younger me’s hand and leads her away.

            Younger me looks up and smiles at my old teacher. “You have a pretty silver dress.” She beams. My teacher looks down at her quizzically.

            “Yes, I think it’s pretty too.” Was all she said. I stare at the scene. My art teacher wasn’t wearing a dress. I watch as they head into the building, the white mist swirls around me again.

             I feel the pulling sensation once more and I’m suddenly standing in one of my old houses. My mother is standing at the kitchen sink, leaning over it. Her back is to me and I notice a teenage me watching my mother. I look to be about thirteen and I’m trying to hide behind the opposite wall, my eyes peeking out and staring at my mother in deep concern.

            My mother is shaking and breathing heavily. Her breath comes out in shaky grasps. I watch as her grip on the sink tightens. Her body trembles and then relaxes slightly. She breaths out, but it sounds like a hiss.

            “Not today.” She whispers, her voice pleading. “Please, just not today.” My mother hangs her head. Teenage me stares at my mother, she looks like she wants to approach her, but she doesn’t move. I stare at my mother, her hair isn’t blonde like it usually is, instead it looks like a dull gray color. Her hands are pale, almost the color of ivory, and her skin seems to be stretched tightly across her bones. She looks frail and small, almost broken. She looks up and out the kitchen window, storm clouds are stretching across the sky, thunder rumbles in the distance while lightning flashes in the sky.

            “I know you’re there, Alaina.” My mother says suddenly. I jump, thinking she somehow knows I’m watching her, then I realize she’s talking to teenage me. My mother turns around to look at her.

            Teenage me comes out of hiding, but stays close to the wall. “Are you alright, Mom?” she asks timidly. My mother forces a smile.

            “I’m fine, darling. Have you taken your pills yet?” she asks, her voice strained.

            Teenage me shakes her head and my mother reaches into the cabinet to take out the pills. She shakes out two of the tiny white pills and holds them out to younger me, the forced smile still on her face. Teenage me approaches my mother slowly and takes the pills, shoving them in her mouth before swallowing them.

            The white mist swirls around me once more, the pulling sensation comes back and I’m too stunned to even be scared. This time, I’m in my old house, the one I lived in before I was kidnapped. I look around and see myself sitting on the staircase in the dark. I’m probably fifteen here and I’m listening in on my mother’s conversation.

            “I will not allow you to take her away from me.” I hear my mother say angrily.         

            “You have no choice in the matter, you’ve hidden her away already. You cannot deter the Fates.” A female voice hisses in response. I lean over the banister and I see a slight glow coming from the living room and my mother sitting in front of it, but I don’t see anyone else in the room with her.

            My mother’s face is set into a deep scowl. The glow casting a dark shadow across her face, making the scowl look sinister. “I know what I have done, but I will not allow any harm to fall upon my daughter.”

            “That is not your choice anymore! It was never your choice, when _he_ finds out what you have done how do you think he will react? She is not even supposed to be alive right now.” The voice says in anger.

            Annoyance flickers across my mother’s face. “I do not care about him and his petty orders. She is _my_ daughter and it is my duty as her _mother_ to protect her, even if that means keeping her from him.” I mother says in defiance.

            My younger self presses her hands to her head and breathes out slowly. Her body is shaking. I stare at her for a moment longer before the other voice speaks.

            “He will kill her the second she is out of your reach.” The voice warns.

            “So I’ve been told. She is safe here though.” My mother tries to reason with the voice.

            “Her powers are going to start becoming uncontrollable soon enough, then everything else is going to spiral out of control.”

            “I know, I know, but I have a solution for that-“

            “Your solution is reliant on those pills you were foolish enough to have made. You were foolish to ask for help from the others. You cannot fool her father for much longer, he is already suspicious of why you have not returned…”

            My mother laughs without humor. “Let him be suspicious! Her existence is shrouded from his view, there is no way he will find out about her as long as she is here with me.”

            There is silence for a moment.

            “Something bad is going to happen soon, you can sense it, correct?” the voice asks.

            My mother hesitates before answering, “I feel it too…”

            “It is almost the winter solstice, what will happen then? How will you be able to conceal her identity then? Or yours for that matter?”

            The look on my mother’s face is one of pure terror. “I have done it for fifteen years now, I can do it for three more. After that, there will be no need to hide her from him.”

            “She will not survive those three years-“

            “Are you saying I do not have the ability to protect my daughter from the harm of the others?” My mother demands angrily.

            “No, I am merely pointing out that her father is becoming suspicious of her existence, the others are trying to cover for you, but you know his nature...” The voice trails off.

            “Uncontrollable. Rash and destructive.” My mother responds immediately.

            “Exactly, how do you suppose you are to keep her from responding to her _own_ nature? The storm is already starting to brew within her…you know her future, and you must understand how dark it is.”

            “Yes, but that is only one of the paths you have shown me, there is the other-“

            “The one that you are suggesting has a one to a million chance of coming true. The others are more likely to happen.”

            “As long as that version is still in existence, then there is hope for her.” Younger me makes a sobbing noise and I realize that she was crying, her body trembling. She stuffs her fist in her mouth to keep from crying out. My mother looks towards the stairs. “I must go, she is awake…tell him…them him I love him.” My mother says, her voice wavering slightly at her words. The voice seemed to understand what my mother meant.

            “I will, but remember to be careful, darkness is coming.”

            My mother nods and the light fades. The white mist circles around me once more and I feel a stabbing sensation in my chest. My hands fly up to my chest, I cry out in pain and close my eyes.

            When I open them I’m lying on my back on the floor in Rachel’s room. The stabbing sensation becoming more intense in my chest with each passing second, I hold my hands against my heart, so sure it was trying to claw itself out. I’m vaguely aware of Rachel shouting something at me, but the pain is too intense in my chest for me to make out any of her words. I’m pretty sure I’m screaming and then everything blackens for a minute and I hear the door swing open, possibly banging into the wall.

            Another voice is shouting at me, but I can’t hear anything. Everything is dark and I’m sure I’m about to pass out. I can’t see or hear, but I can feel their words washing over me. I feel a hand touch my arm and everything swings into focus, my vision becoming way too sharp for a normal human. My hearing sharpens to the point where I can hear the growling of a monster somewhere in the forest. I sit up so suddenly, that the person who’d touched me backs up quickly.

            I inhale sharply and a blue spark flickers across my arm, I no longer feel a pain in my chest, instead I feel like I’m an electrical conductor, electricity flows freely through my body and I’m all too aware that my entire body is emitting bright blue sparks. I inhale deeply and it all shuts off, as if a silicone cover had been placed over my body. I look around and see Nico kneeling a foot away and Rachel even farther away. Nico’s face is set in confusion while Rachel’s is staring at me with a wide range of emotions.

            That’s when I realize they aren’t staring at me, but at something around me. I shakily lift my hands and with my currently enhanced vision I stare at the same thing they’re staring at. A bright blue-white light encircles my hands and arms, with a shock I realize it’s not just my arm it’s surrounding, but my entire body. A sense of dread fills my body when I realize that wasn’t what they were shocked by. Instead, it was the fact that it was flecked with tiny black spots. Almost as if darkness was starting to infect the light.


	22. Talk about Special Effects

            I stare at my hands as they tremble violently. I look up at Nico and Rachel who are both staring at me in a way I can’t recognize. Suddenly, as if someone flicked on a switch a black mass starts swirling around Nico’s body while a bright-green mist swirls around Rachel. I let out a small shriek and backpedal as fast as I can away from them, temporarily forgetting about the mist surrounding me.

            “Alaina?” Rachel asks, crawling forward hesitantly.

            I cry out in alarm and scoot even farther away from them.

            “Alaina, what is it you see?” Nico asks, slowly approaching. He stares at me as I back myself up against Rachel’s wall. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the images of the swirling mists.

            When I open my eyes just a crack, Nico is sitting down right in front of me. I’m trembling and tears are streaming down my face as I watch the black mist surrounding him pulse with energy. Rachel is sitting next to him looking concerned.

            Nico reaches out to grab my hand and asks, “Can I?” before touching me. I nod slowly and he lightly touches my hand and his aura flares brighter. “You’re seeing our auras, aren’t you?” he asks. I look between Rachel and Nico before slowly nodding. Rachel looks confused and maybe even a little bit scared.

            “Nico…how is that even possible? Only seers can see them…” Rachel asks slowly.

            Nico’s brow furrows in confusion.

            “Seer….as in like an oracle?” I ask.

            “Yeah…but that’s not possible…is it?” Nico looks back at Rachel. Her lips are pressed together in a straight line.

            “It could be possible…but Alaina is definitely not an oracle…” Rachel’s forehead crease in confusion.

            “So…what am I?” I ask hesitantly. I look down at my hands and realize Nico is still holding my hand. I quickly pull my hand back and look away.

            “I don’t know.” Rachel says after a few minutes. “But, you’re not an oracle…”

            “Alaina, you’ve mentioned visions before.” Nico says suddenly. He turns around to look at Rachel. “Maybe she _is_ a seer.”

            I frown thinking it over. Rachel looks like she’s debating what to say.

            “It does seem like that’s the likely idea….” Rachel trails off, mulling over the idea.

            “They’re not just visions.” I say suddenly, my heartbeat picks up as I realize what they truly are.

            “Then what are they?” Nico asks confusion written across his entire face.

            “Memories. They’re memories.” Rachel answers for me. I look her into her eyes and I feel a sense of dread.  Her eyes are hard and unreadable.

            “How did you know?” I ask. Nico is staring at me strangely.

            “We shared the memories a few moments ago, it only makes sense that the others you’ve had to have been memories also.” Rachel explains.

            “The thing is, they’re not always my memories. The ones we saw, I didn’t even know I had them. It’s like…like I’d forgotten them.” I glance at Nico and he’s still focused on me. Rachel looks confused.

            “How would you not be able to remember them? Unless…” Rachel pauses as if realizing something. “Unless they were suppressed.” She looks at me.

            “The pills.” Nico mutters. His gaze wanders from me and he looks at Rachel. “Her mother made her take pills, they must have somehow suppressed her powers…and her memories it seems.” Nico glances back at me and I look down.

            “Is that even possible?” I ask quietly.

            Nico and Rachel glance at each other. “It could be…but I’ve never heard about it being done before.” Rachel answers slowly.

            “Great. Now what do I do about stopping all of this? I don’t want to see auras and I don’t want to keep having these visions or memories, whichever they are.” I bite my bottom lip to keep myself from crying. I was so sick of being weak in front of people. _This isn’t me._

            “Something had to have triggered your ability to see auras….are you still seeing them?” Nico asks, looking concerned.

            I nod in response and notice that Rachel looks uncomfortable.

            “I think when I saw your memories I triggered your ability to see them…I don’t know how you are able to see them, it…it shouldn’t be possible. The only thing I can think of is that you have the ability of foresight, or that maybe your mother was a seer and it got passed onto you…it would make sense considering the last memory we saw…” Rachel trails off.

            “As far as I know, my mom is mortal.” I respond.

            “What if she’s not?” Nico asks suddenly. Rachel and I stare at him in confusion.

            “She’s mortal.” I say with finality.

            Nico grabs my hand suddenly and his aura flares even more brightly before.

            “Then you shouldn’t be able to see that.” He snaps, letting go of my hand roughly. I hold it against my stomach, staring at him angrily.

            “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t manhandle me again.” I say curtly. I look to Rachel. “How do I turn this off…I don’t want this, any of this.”

            Rachel’s aura flares around her as she thinks it over. “I don’t know.” She says finally. “I see auras, but I’m able to control it. I don’t know how I do it, it just happens.”

            I sigh in defeat. “So this is just how it’s going to be then? I’m just going to be able to see everyone’s auras and make electricity out of nothing?” I ask bitterly, squeezing my eyes shut.

            “Alaina, we’re going to try and help you. You won’t have to go through this alone. Maybe Chiron knows something…” Rachel suggests.

            _You won’t have to go through this alone._ The words replay over and over in my head. _Except, I’m already alone in this._ I squeeze my eyes shut even tighter.

            “This can’t be happening.” I whisper.        

            “If you can’t face the truth now, how are you ever going to be able to face anything in life?” Nico demands. My eyes snap open and glare at him.

            “If you hate me _so_ much why are you even here? How did you even know I was here? You’re acting like such a jerk to me and all I’m trying to do is be nice to you!” I shout at him. He glares back.

            “Then don’t.” He says and gets up. He looks back to Rachel and says, “I’ll talk to some people I know, see if I can find out anything about what’s going on, but there are no guarantees.”

            Rachel nods in response. “Just find out what you can.” Nico nods and turns to leave. “And Nico,” Rachel calls out as his hand rests on the doorknob. “Be careful out there.” Nico looks back at us and nods before exiting the room. I slump against the wall, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

            “So what happens next?” I dare to ask.

            Rachel looks at me and her aura flares brightly around her again. “First off, we get you some nectar, you look sick, and let you sleep. Then, we just let things go for a while. I’ll talk to as many people as I can and try and get some information for you and Nico’s going to be scouting out for any bit of help he can find. We can’t really do much, but maybe we can find a way to maintain some balance with this new gift.”

            “Why is he even helping me, he hates me.” I grumble.

            “Nico doesn’t hate you, he’s just not very friendly.” Rachel defends and I have a feeling she knows something more.

            “He seems friendly enough to everyone else here.” I retort.

            “He’s known them longer, he’ll warm up to you eventually.” Rachel promises.

            I don’t respond and Rachel takes the opportunity to stand up and help me up. I lean against her heavily and she tries her best to support me.

            “Come on, we’ll get you to the infirmary where you can rest up.” She says and helps me out of the room and carefully down the stairs. She leads me into another room and lays me down on a soft cot. She pours some liquid into a tall glass and holds it out for me. “Sip it, don’t chug it. This is the drink of the gods, it can kill you if you have too much of it.” She instructs.

            I nod and take a sip, letting the warm liquid run through my body. I’m tempted to just drink the entire thing in one large gulp, but I remember her warning and slowly sip the liquid. My eyes droop low and Rachel takes the glass from my hand and slowly pushes me down onto the cot.

            “Rest up, Alaina. You’ll need it for what’s in store.” She says softly, as if not expecting me to hear. I don’t even have the time or ability to form the question that starts forming in the back of my mind before I drift off to sleep.


	23. Feeling Emotional Much?

            I wake up groggily and try to sit up. My head feels like it’s full of lead. It takes almost all my effort to keep my eyes open. I blink several times and look around only to realize that I’m alone in the infirmary. I groan and slowly move my legs over to the side of the cot. _Why does my entire body feel like a ton of bricks?_ I think blearily. I slowly remove myself from the cot and land on my two feet which immediately crumple underneath my weight, causing me to crash to the floor.

            I land hard on my wrist and bite my lip to keep from crying out in pain. I edge my wrist from under my body and try and move it. It moves slightly and I exhale a breath of relief since it’s not broken. That’s when I notice the claw marks on my arm. I frown, trying to think where they came from though the haze in my mind.

            I vaguely remember something about a hydra and I wonder if that actually happened. I try and sit up using my wrist to push me up and scream in pain, temporarily forgetting I’d just hurt it. Waves of pain rush up my entire arm and I cradle my wrist against my chest as I lay on my side, curling into a ball. I hear footsteps down the hall and the door to the infirmary opens with a loud creak.

            “Alaina? Are you okay?” a voice asks, quickly rushing over to me. The person gently rolls me onto my back and I wince as another wave of pain rushes up my arm. The person gently touches my wrist and I gasp in pain. _Okay, so maybe it could be broken._ “What did you do to your wrist?”

            I manage to open my eyes and I see a hazy image of Percy kneeling above me. I manage a weak smile. “I fell out of bed, can you help me up?” Percy looks at me skeptically and reaches for my hurt wrist. I wince and say, “Please, be careful of my wrist though.”

            Percy nods and grabs both of my arms right below the elbow and gently pulls me up.  I lean heavily on him, my breathing heavy. I close my eyes and try to regain control of my body. My body still feels like lead and I can feel Percy straining to keep me from falling back to the floor.

            “Alaina, are you sure that you’re okay?” he asks, I can hear the concern in his voice.

            “Fine, I’m fine.” I mumble, fighting a wave of nausea. I squeeze my eyes closed tighter.

            “You don’t look okay, if anything you look sick.”

            I exhale a shaky breath. “Okay, so maybe I’m not okay. I feel like I’ve been drugged, honestly. I can’t stand on my own, my body feels like it’s full of lead, and every breath hurts.”

            “Alaina, everything’s going to be alright. Just calm down and focus.” Percy instructs.

            “Percy-“ I breathe. “I can’t focus. Whenever I open my eyes all I see are hazy images and…I don’t have control over my body.”

            “Alaina, look at me. Come on, you’re stronger than this.” Percy says.

            It takes a lot of effort for me to turn my face to him.

            “Now open your eyes.” Percy coaxes. 

            I try and open then, but they only flutter into slits. I feel Percy shift my weight to try and support me better. I try again, with no success.

            “Alaina, I need you to open your eyes now. Just focus, please?” I can tell he’s scared and doesn’t know what’s wrong with me either.

            I try again and this time I succeed in opening them, but it takes a lot of effort. I try and focus on Percy’s face, but it’s hazy and I can’t make out anything.

            “Good, come on now, focus Alaina.” He says.

            All of a sudden, I feel myself slipping and falling backwards.

            “Alaina!” Percy cries out, grabbing for me. He manages to grab my hurt wrist and a sharp pain races through my entire body and suddenly, as if someone flicked out a switch, I can see straight and my body no longer feels heavy. I gasp in shock and pull my arm away from Percy as I fall hard to the ground. “Alaina!” Percy calls again, but I back up fast, trying to make sense of what happened.

            I look at Percy and his aura flares around him protectively. A sea-green wave of energy encircles him, a silver thread swirling in the middle. I inhale sharply, cursing myself for letting myself think seeing auras was only temporary.

            “Alaina, you’re sparking.” Percy says in amazement, staring at me.

            I look down and see my own aura and the blue-white sparks flying freely across my body. I try and slow my breathing in an attempt to calm down. _Just breathe, Alaina._ I close my eyes and focus on my heartbeat, willing it to slow down. When I open my eyes I no longer see the sparks and I notice I no longer see my aura either. I quickly look to Percy and see his is gone too. He’s staring at me in shock. I just sit there in silence.

            “Alaina…..you-you were sparking….Sparks were _literally_ coming off of you.” He looks to me for an explanation.

            I manage a weak smile. “Yeah, that happens sometimes.” I say softly.

            He shakes his head and stands up. He holds out his hand for me to grasp. I take it hesitantly and he helps me up.

            “Are you okay?” he asks me curiously. I nod.

            “I don’t know what happened, Percy. I woke up and I felt like I’d been drugged.” I look at him from the corner of my eye. “I don’t know what’s happening to me anymore. Ever since I came here, it’s just been one thing after another. It’s getting to be too much.” I finish softly. _Not to mention it’s only going to get worse._

“Hey, everything’s going to be fine.” Percy says gently, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Is your wrist okay?” He asks, changing subjects.

            I move it slightly and don’t feel any pain. I frown down at it. “Yeah, weirdly enough, it’s fine now.” I furrow my brow in confusion. “That shouldn’t be possible, should it?” I ask him.

            “No it shouldn’t be possible, but it’s not _impossible_. Maybe….I don’t know, maybe you have something powerful running through your blood that helps you heal?” He says but it sounds more like a question than an answer.

            “I don’t know, Percy. I’m pretty sure it could have been broken a few minutes ago. There’s no way it could have healed that fast or at all for that matter.” I reply, swiveling my wrist.

            Percy is quiet and I glance at him. He’s staring at me with and unreadable expression on his face, but I know it’s not good. He looks away after a moment.

            “Percy, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never had this issue before.” I look anywhere but at him, tears stinging my eyes. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. My mom has kept my entire identity away from me for my whole life. I know you and some of the other campers probably think I’m lying, but I’m not.” I look down at my hand and clench it into a fist, trying to keep the tears from streaming down my face. A lump forms in my throat and I know I’m on the verge of completely losing it.

            “I don’t think you’re lying. I just….I get this weird feeling around you. It’s difficult to explain. Like, I know you’re a good person, that you wouldn’t hurt anyone, but when we were fighting in the arena, that feeling changed.” I whip my head around to look at Percy, my heart beating slightly faster in my chest. He’s looking at me, but it’s like he’s not seeing me at all. “The new feeling I got…it was a bad feeling, like, you weren’t just fighting me for fun anymore, almost as if-as if you wanted to hurt me. I got the feeling you knew exactly what to do, where all my weaknesses were. It was like something took over you, I don’t know, maybe I was imagining it because after you won, the feeling was gone and it was just the normal one.”

            Percy finally looks at me and I’m just standing there with my mouth slightly open. I was lost for words. I quickly closed my mouth and look away.

            “And you felt that same feeling when you came in here, right? The evil feeling.” I ask, nervous of his answer.

            “Yes and no. I felt your struggle for control, but you weren’t evil. You’re _not_ evil, Alaina. Maybe it’s nothing. Like I said, I could have imagined it.” Percy backtracks, trying to spare my feelings.

            _The new feeling I got…it was a bad feeling…like you wanted to hurt me._ I clench my fist even tighter. “Yeah. It probably was just your imagination.” I say looking at him and flashing my convincing fake smile. I could see the muscles in his shoulders relax a little as soon as he thought I was okay. _You weren’t just fighting me for fun anymore._

            “Are you going to be okay?” Percy asks me.

            I look at him. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. One question though, it is _still_ Wednesday right?” I ask him. If I had slept away another day I was seriously going to punch myself in the face. Percy looks at me weirdly.

            “Yeah, it’s like four in the afternoon. You sure you’re okay?” he asks.

            “Yeah, just peachy.” I reply. Percy gives me another look and I ignore it.

            “I have to meet Annabeth down at the arena, you can come with me if you want.” Percy offers.

            I laugh without humor. “So you can keep an eye on me in case I decide to break any more bones in my body? No thanks.” I say sarcastically. I turn to face Percy. “I’m not crazy, I swear. I may have these visions or memories, whatever they are and I may get panic attacks and cry often, but I’m not crazy.” I say seriously.

            “Hallucinations and panic attacks don’t exactly spell out normal.” He says gently.

            “Yeah? Well neither does having a dad who happens to be a god and suddenly getting unexplainable powers.” I retort. Percy is silent for a minute before breaking into a smile.

            “Fine, you’re not crazy. Everyone else here is, you’re the only normal one.” He jokes.

            “Hey, I said I wasn’t crazy, never said I was normal. I quite resent that accusation.” I smile back.

            “Okay, fine then, you’re just weird. Just a weird demigod with weird powers who’s just weird…” Percy finishes lamely.

            “I like that a lot better.” I say. Percy laughs and despite what just occurred I laugh too. When we calm down I say, “Thanks, Percy.”

            “Hey, I know it must be tough, still being new here and everything. I don’t pretend to know what you’re going through, but I want to help you. You seem like a reliable person and I know the gods don’t play fair when it comes to the lives of demigods. Whatever is happening to you, the gods have played a part in it…and I think this is only the beginning.” Percy says.

            “That’s reassuring.” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

            “Isn’t it?” Percy jokes.

            “Don’t you have to go meet your girlfriend?” I snap jokingly.

            Percy laughs and turns to leave, stopping in the doorway. He looks back at me and all traces of our previous jokes were gone. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks.

            “I’m _fine_ , Percy. Thank you….for everything.” I reassure him. He nods and leaves.

            I sigh in frustration and look around the room. I’m standing in the middle of the room and I realize just how alone I truly am. I wrap my arms around my body and look down. There’s a knock on the wall and I look to the doorway. Leo is leaning against the frame.

            “Rachel told me you were here and I just saw Percy leave. You okay?” He asks.

            I stare at him, just leaning against the doorframe, and something in me breaks. All the tears I’d kept in check while Percy was here just came pouring out. Leo is startled by this and closes the door and rushes over to me. He wraps me in a hug and tries to console me.

            “Shhh, it’s okay, Alaina.” He smoothes down my hair and holds me against him.

            “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, this isn’t like me. Like, at all.” I babble though my tears.

            Leo leads me over to the cot and helps me sit down. He pulls me close and I rest my head on his shoulder and continue to cry. Leo hums softly to me while I cry. He doesn’t say anything and just lets me cry out all of the emotions that have been building up inside of me. When I’m done crying, I wipe my eyes and pull back from him.

            “I’m sorry. You probably think I’m some overly emotional girl.” I say, wiping furiously at my eyes. I sniffle and look anywhere but at Leo.

            “No, actually I don’t think you’re being overly emotional.” He says. I look up at him.

            “You don’t?” I manage to say.

            “No. I think it’s only reasonable that you have to cry. You’ve had a lot happen to you in a small amount of time.”

            I bite my lip. “Thanks.”

            “Anytime. I’m serious, if you need someone to talk to or just cry on,” Leo says with a small smile. I half smile in return. “You can come to me.”

            “I might take you up on that, Valdez.” I reply.

            “Good, I would be upset if you didn’t.” Leo whispers.

            I smile and look down, biting my lip. I look back up at Leo and realize how close we are to each other. My heart races a little. He stares at me for a moment before leaning down. Time slows and I feel like panicking. Leo’s face moves closer to mine and I make a split second decision and lean into him. Before I know it, Leo and I are kissing and it feels really nice. A few seconds later, Leo pulls away and smiles down at me.

            I bite my bottom lip and look away, trying to contain a smile of my own. Leo gently pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear and my checks burn with heat.

            “You look cute when you’re blushing.” He says, chuckling at the end.

            I glance back up at him and smile brightly at his goofy grin. “You’re not so bad looking yourself.” I reply, and I realize Leo was kind of super attractive. His skin was tanned and practically flawless. His black hair had curls that look soft and his brown eyes were warm and they crinkled whenever he smiled. I leaned my head against his chest and sighed, finally feeling like I wasn’t falling apart. Leo’s arms tightened around me and I smiled contentedly.

            Suddenly, the door swings open, making Leo and me jump apart in surprise. Jason and Thalia rush into the room. I glance at Leo and his face pales when he sees Jason. Jason looks slightly confused to see Leo and me sitting next to each other on the cot while Thalia observes the scene carefully. My heart races and all I can think about is how horrible this situation has just become.


	24. Sibling Bonding

            I quickly push that thought from my head as I stand up.

            “What are you both doing here?” I ask.

            Jason looks between Leo and me again. “I could ask the two of you the same question.” He says.

            “Leo and I were just talking.” I look back at Leo and he’s no longer looking as pale as before. “Actually, I was a crying mess and Leo was trying to be a good friend.” I look back at Jason and Thalia. Thalia watches me carefully.

            “We just saw Percy down by the arena, he mentioned you were here and we thought you’d been hurt.” Thalia says.

            I take a step back and almost trip over the cot. Leo reaches out to steady me. _They thought I’d been hurt?_   “Why would you care?” I ask, still pretty shocked.

            Jason furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t we be? You’re our sister.” He says.

            “Half-sister.” I correct. “And you both didn’t seem to care before.”

            “We did care, you’ve been through a lot of stuff lately; we were just trying to give you your space.” Jason says.

            “By ignoring me? Yeah, that works.” I fidget anxiously.

            “We thought you didn’t want to talk about it.” Jason says. “You were pretty much avoiding us too.”

            “Because you both were avoiding me!” I shout. Leo stands up and places a hand on my shoulder.

            “Maybe you should calm down.” He says calmly.

            I grit my teeth angrily, but I nod in response.

            Jason looks between us again. “Are you sure nothing is going on between the two of you?”

            I roll my eyes. “Nothing is going on.”

            Jason looks like he’s about to say something else, but Thalia interrupts.

            “Can I talk with you, Alaina?” she asks. “In private?”

            I look at Leo but he only shrugs. “Sure.” I say, slightly confused.

            Thalia leads me out of the room and I look back at Jason and Leo. Jason was watching Leo carefully and Leo was looking down and I felt bad for a moment. I close the door behind me and follow Thalia down the hallway. She quickly looks in a room down the hall and then motions for me to follow her inside. Once inside, she shuts the door behind me.

            “The first time you met me, you saw my aura, didn’t you?” I ask immediately.

            Thalia looks at me and after a minute she smiles. “You’re smarter than you look.” She says.

            “Thanks.” I say sarcastically.

            “No problem.” Thalia says, equally sarcastic.

            “You know, we could’ve been good friends if you didn’t hate me.” I say.

            Thalia glances at me. “I don’t hate you. Your aura isn’t exactly something I enjoy though.”

            “What’s wrong about it?” I ask.

            “Have you seen it?” she asks.

            After a moment of silence I nod. “Yeah.”

            “Then you should know what’s wrong with it.” She says matter-of-factly.

            “But I don’t. I don’t know anything about auras.” I say in frustration.

            “You saw Percy, Nico, Jason, and all of the Hunter’s auras when you first met them. You have always had the ability to see auras.” Thalia replies finding interest in a book on the table.

            “Yeah, I don’t know how I saw them, I just knew they were there. Now though, I can see them, like _really_ see them. I don’t know how to control it either.” I say. I have no idea why I’m admitting this to Thalia, I still felt like she hated me.

            “It’s a trigger. You’re not seeing them now right?” she asks, glancing at me. I nod in reply. “There’s a trigger for every power you have.” Thalia walks around the table and faces me. “Your trigger right now is panic, am I right?” I nod again. “You also have visions, correct?” Another nod from me. “The trigger for that is also your panic. Every time you panic, you trigger another power. Soon enough you’re going to exhaust your aura.”

            “Exhaust my aura?” I ask, confused. I watch as Thalia pulls a dagger from her boot and runs her finger on the blade, testing its sharpness.

            “Yes. Every power you have draws its energy from your aura. The more you use, the more it draws on your aura. I assume you understand the concept of an aura.” Thalia looks at me over the edge of her dagger.

            I swallow my fear and nod. “Your aura is your life force constituted in a form of matter.”

            Thalia half smiles and looks back at her dagger. “Exactly. So the more you use of your aura….”

            “The more you use of your life force.” I finish. Thalia nods and puts her dagger back in her boot.

            “And I think you know what happens when you use too much of your life force.” She stares at me hard and I know exactly what happens when too much of your life force is drained away. _You die._ “So your trigger isn’t good for you, but you knew that already. You need to find a different trigger for your powers, one that won’t cause you to go off the deep end.”

            “The deep end?” I ask skeptically.

            Thalia looks at me and actually smiles. “You know, like going bonkers, sent to the loony bin, going insane. Trust me, your brain would melt into a puddle before your body spontaneously combusts into flames from using too much of your aura.”

            “Well that’s reassuring.” I say.

            Thalia laughs without humor. “There’s nothing reassuring about being a demigod. You’re always on the run from monsters who want nothing more than to tear you to pieces.” She looks at the wall without seeing it, as if she’s somewhere else.

            “I never had monsters chasing me all the time. I mean, yeah there was one every now and then, but for the most part I was never running from them.”

            Thalia looks at me. “Strange, your aura should have attracted them like moths to a flame.”

            I fidget uncomfortably and am about to answer when there’s a loud crash from down the hall. Thalia and I freeze and exchange a look. _He wouldn’t._ I hear shouting and Thalia curses.

            “Damn those boys.” She growls and bolts from the room and I rush after her.

            Thalia throws open the door and the first thing I see is the cot is knocked over and the vase that had been on the table next to it broken into pieces on the floor. I look up and see Thalia marching angrily towards Jason and Leo. Jason has Leo pinned against a wall and his face is red in anger. Leo is just letting Jason hold him against the wall, his jaw is clenched but he doesn’t look like he’s fighting back. I notice one of Leo’s eyes is starting to swell a little.

            “Jason Grace!” Thalia shouts and grabs the back of his t-shirt. She yanks him back and Jason fights against her for a moment before she shoves him into the opposite wall. “Stop!” she shouts and Jason blinks before realizing what he’d done.

            Leo is still standing against the wall. He’s staring hard at Jason and I can tell he’s restraining himself. His hands are clenched into tight fists at his side and they’re smoking slightly. Jason glares at Leo for a moment before pushing past Thalia and he doesn’t look at me as he walks out the door. Thalia follows him but turns to me as she leaves and says,

            “I’ll talk to him.” She glances back at Leo and lowers her voice. “Take care of that one, his eye is going to be a black and blue tomorrow if it doesn’t get iced soon. Try not to piss Jason off again.” And with that she’s gone.

            I look back at Leo and he has his eyes closed and is leaning against the wall for support. He takes a deep breath and his whole body shudders.

            “Leo-“ I start. 

            “Just don’t, Alaina. It’ll only piss him off more. Jason doesn’t get mad often and considering what just happened, I’d say he was beyond mad.” Leo doesn’t look at me while he talks, instead he ruffles through the cabinets in the room and pulls out a piece of cloth. He opens the cooler sitting on the counter where they keep the drink Rachel had poured me last night and digs out some ice. He wraps the ice in the cloth and puts it on his hurt eye. Leo winces from the coldness of the ice.

            “Leo, let me help you.” I say and take a step forward. Leo puts out his hand in a ‘stop’ motion.

            “Please, just leave Alaina. We can talk about this later.” He says and sighs.

            I bite my lip to keep from crying. “Okay.” I say, but it’s barely audible. I turn and leave the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I walk outside and stand on the porch for a minute. I can feel the pressure building up inside of my chest and I can’t take it anymore, I dash off towards the woods. I needed to be alone, and I knew the perfect place where I could be alone.


	25. More Than Confused

            Somehow, I’ve already mapped the way to Bunker Nine in my mind and I’m there faster than when Leo first showed me the place. I carefully run my fingers over the limestone wall and a blue light, unlike the red light that Leo created, radiates from my fingertips into the stone. The blue light races across the stone in a blinding pattern before sinking back together in the pattern of a blue lightning bolt. The bolt fades rapidly and the stone wall swings open silently like it had before.

            I stand there shocked for a moment before entering the bunker. The door closes behind me and the lights flicker on. I walk over to one of the tables. I don’t know why I came back here, for all I know Leo could come back here after he calms down. Yet, I don’t leave.

            I walk around some of the tables in the bunker and a pile of metal on one of them catches my eye. I walk over and see that the metal is sitting on top of a blueprint for something. Some of the material looked pieced together already and I gently slide the paper out from under the metal. I glance over the blueprint and realize what it’s for. I gently set the paper back down on the table and pick up a piece of metal that looks like it’s where Leo left off. 

            I glance at the paper and start putting together the metal item, constantly reaching across the table for nuts, bolts, some grease, and different types screwdrivers in the process. I have no idea how long I worked on the project for, but I knew it must be getting dark outside. I smile down proudly at the now completed little figure I have in my hands. The only thing I didn’t know how to put together was the electrical circuit that would enable it to move.

            Off in the distance I hear the horn that signals dinner and I carefully wrap the metal object in a cloth and rush out of the bunker, the lights flickering off. The door closes silently behind me and I notice the blue lightning bolt on the door again. I don’t spare myself a second to think about it as I race towards the dining pavilion.

            As I get closer, I slow down and look for Leo somewhere in the crowd of people filing past me but I don’t see him. I hastily grab a plate of food and rush up to the fire. I mutter a saying of thanks and walk towards the Zeus table. Thalia is sitting there waiting and I don’t see Jason.

            “Where’s Jason?” I ask, setting my plate down across from Thalia.

            “He’s back in the cabin, he didn’t feel like eating.” Thalia responds.

            “Why was he so mad at Leo? It’s not like we did anything.” I say, pushing my food around my plate with a fork.

            “Jason can be….overprotective. Jason has made it clear before to Leo that any siblings are off limits and then the two of you are making out in the infirmary-“

            I cringe. “We kissed. Once. We didn’t make out.” I correct her.

            “Either way, Jason lost his cool, which is unlike him. I think Jason’s just as frustrated as you about what’s happening and Leo kissing you, however harmless it was, set him off. Jason feels obligated to protect you, even if that means ruining everything with his best friend.”

            I look down at my plate. “I just seem to be causing more harm than good, you were right.” I say in defeat.

            “I was also wrong.” Thalia adds.

             I look up at her in shock. “You were?”

            Thalia nods. “You haven’t caused much harm yet, though I can assure you that you will later on, but you’re not like other children of the Big Three.”

            “Thanks, I’ve always wanted to be reassured that I’m destructive, but what do you mean by that?” I ask.

            “Usually children of the Big Three are destructive in nature, they’re stubborn and unwilling to move, and they’re always looking for a fight to prove themselves to others. We’re not level headed at all and we usually act on impulse. That’s what gets us into more trouble than we’re worth most of the time.” Thalia explains.

            “I can see that. You, for one, are not level headed.” I joke.

            Thalia smiles. “Annabeth tells me that often enough. You’re different though, like Percy almost. He’s not exactly level headed, but he’s not always out looking for a fight with every monster he meets either. Yet, you’re even calmer than he is. You have this air that Percy doesn’t. I don’t know, you’re different yet the same.”

            “Thanks…I guess. So did you calm Jason down at least? Is he still mad at Leo? Please tell me I didn’t screw up their friendship.” I plead.

            “Jason’s frazzled, but he doesn’t hate Leo. That does not mean to continue whatever it is that you and Leo are on the road to though, that’ll only upset Jason. Plus, Leo already has someone, which is weird he’d kiss you.”

            I’m taken aback by this. “Leo…Leo has a girlfriend?” I ask shocked. Thalia eyes my reaction warily.

            “Yes, he didn’t tell you that before?” She asks.

            “No, I never knew.” I say. “But then again, I don’t know the kid that well.”

            “Yet you kissed him.” Thalia points out.

            “It was a heat of the moment thing, plus he’s attractive. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend though!” I announce in frustration.

            Thalia wrinkles her nose at my comment. “Leo is _not_ attractive and he has a complicated relationship with the girl. I wouldn’t say their _dating._ He rarely sees her anyway.”

            “Wait, she doesn’t go here? Is she mortal then?” I ask out of curiosity.

            Thalia laughs. “She’s definitely not mortal.”

            “Then what is she?”

            “I’ll let Fire Boy tell you another time.” Thalia says. “I’m going to go sit with my Hunters if you don’t mind, plus I think Leo’s itching to get you alone again.” She winks at her comment and takes her food over to the Artemis table.

            I look at the Hephaestus table and Leo is standing up and walking towards my table. I panic, I was not ready to talk about what happened earlier and now I was even more confused than before. _Maybe he won’t bring it up?_ I think hopelessly. _Yeah right, fat chance of that happening._

            Leo sits down carefully where Thalia had been sitting a moment ago. He doesn’t say anything, just pulls out some scraps of metal and fiddles with it without looking at me. It’s a little awkward for the most part, since neither of us is acknowledging the other. Finally, after a few more minutes of awkward silence Leo speaks up.

            “That kiss earlier-“ he starts.

            I cut him off. “It was a heat of the moment thing, it probably shouldn’t have even happened.” I interrupt as I try to look anywhere but at Leo. I see Leo look at me sharply from the corner of my eye. “It ended up with you getting hurt, and I don’t want to hurt you, Leo.” I glance up and him and Leo looks like he’s about to object, but I quickly finish. “Anyways, Thalia says you have a girlfriend, and I guess I should have expected that.” I finish airily, waving my hand in a dismissive way, trying to make light of the awkwardness and look anywhere but at Leo.

            “So you’re saying it was a mistake.” Leo states, his voice a mask of emotion. I glance at him and his face is void of emotion too.

            “Yes, don’t you think it was?” I ask, confused.

            Leo shakes his head. “Maybe it shouldn’t have happened, but it wasn’t a mistake. I don’t regret kissing you, even if it did get me hurt. Alaina, I _wanted_ to kiss you. I never thought of it as a mistake, it happened, we can’t change that.”

            “Yeah? Well you just so happen to have a girlfriend, Leo. A _girlfriend_ , like someone you _care_ about and all. So, it _was_ a mistake.” I counter.

            Leo hesitates. “You’re right, Alaina. I _do_ care about her, but it’s complicated…” Leo trails off.

            “Yeah, that’s what every guy says. Classic line, Leo.” I snap, suddenly very defensive. I’d actually thought maybe Leo had feelings for me and now I felt played. _This is why I don’t get involved._ I clench my jaw. “Here. Found this but I can’t program it.” I say coldly and place the cloth with the metal creation in it on the table. I stand up and walk away. Part of me expected Leo to follow, the other half didn’t want him to because I knew that would only confuse me more.

            As I leave the dining pavilion, I see Leo staring at the figure. He’s sitting completely still and part of me wonders if maybe I had overreacted to the situation. I didn’t feel like Leo was trying to hurt me purposely, but then again for all I knew I could be playing right into a trap. I wrap my arms around my body as a cool wind whips around me. I feel utterly alone as I walk back to Zeus’ cabin.

            The first thing I notice when I enter the cabin is Jason sitting at the base of the statue of Zeus. His face is turned away from me and he’s staring at the wall. I walk over and sit down next to him.

            “I’m sorry.” He croaks out and I glance at him sideways. He looks like he’s been crying.

            “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” I say softly.

            I watch as Jason’s jaw clenches as he mull over the idea. “I think I’ve ruined our friendship.” He whispers.

            “No, Leo understands your position. I should be the one apologizing. I didn’t know it would cause such a mess. I honestly had no idea Leo had a girlfriend.” I say.

            Jason sighs. “It’s not just that. I know how Leo is, he was trying to be helpful, but we don’t know a lot about you, you know?” Jason glances at me and I nod in understanding. “So I can’t tell if we should trust you or not, no offense, and now you’re a daughter of Zeus? It’s all confusing to me. I can’t imagine how you’re even staying sane.”

            “Who says I’m staying sane?” I joke. Jason smiles and then it drops back into a frown. I look away and stare at the door. “I’m not handling this well at all, honestly. I’ve been awake for like two, three days now, right? And I’m just becoming more confused, I find out my life wasn’t what I thought it was…The kiss with Leo, it was just a _kiss_ , that’s all. Leo and I didn’t do anything else.” I explain.

            “Do you know how we found you?” Jason asks suddenly.

            I give him a questioning look, but he’s not staring at me. He’s staring at the wall and his face is void of emotion.

            “No, I don’t.” I reply.

            “We have satyrs in every school across the United States and not one of them picked up on your scent. Being a child of Zeus, it should have been strong, which leads us to the question of how did they not notice it?” Jason hypothesizes. I shift uncomfortably.

            “I don’t know, maybe it was a fluke in the system?” I ask.

            “Impossible. We had our best satyrs in Florida at the time you were found. For a few years now, the satyrs we’ve sent there have been detecting a strong sense but they’ve never been able to find where it was coming from. Now that you’re here, they’ve reported back the sense is gone. That’s not a coincidence, Alaina.

            “Whatever you being here means, it’s not exactly good. Someone went through a lot of trouble to keep you hidden, and a normal mortal can’t do that without the help of the gods. So, somehow the gods have broken their agreement on never meddling directly in the lives of their children and kept you hidden from something…or someone. You’re a part of something bigger than what we see, that much is evident.” Jason concludes. He turns to look at me.

            I sit there shocked for a moment before I recover enough to say, “You never really told me how you all found me.” My stomach flip-flops at the thought that comes to mind.

            “Nico found you, really. He told me he thought a powerful demigod was in Florida, or at least some mortal with extraordinary powers, he wasn’t sure at first. Then he started having these vivid dreams about you and a few days later Percy started saying the same thing. Then Nico kept claiming you were summoning him, which doesn’t make any sense, now that we know that you’re a daughter of Zeus. We told Chiron of our suspicions and he sent the three of us down to Florida to investigate and we found you.” Jason explains.

            “But how were you able to find me if my existence was still being shrouded at the time.” I point out.

            “Nico led us to you. I don’t know how, but he seemed to know where to go. He led us straight to your town and then shadow traveled us right into the fight with the hydra. We tried to get you out of there to safety to talk about everything as soon as possible, but that backfired on us. We never meant to just…kidnap you.”

            I felt the urgent need to talk to Nico at the moment and Jason seemed distracted. My mind was swimming with all the possible ideas of what everything I had just learned meant. Jason gets up suddenly and I am startled out of my thoughts. He looks down apologetically.

            “Sorry, I have to go apologize to Leo. I overreacted and took out my frustration on him.” Jason turns to leave and I call out to him.

            “Jason, does this mean I didn’t ruin your friendship after all?” I ask quietly.

            Jason shakes his head, “No. you didn’t ruin anything, Alaina.” I nod in response and Jason turns to leave again but stops. “One last thing, we have to beat the Hunters in capture the flag on Friday, I’m sure you’ve heard that we’ve never won against them, which means we have to get some of your powers under control. So get some sleep while you can because tomorrow morning we’re going to start training…at the break of day.” Jason smiles at me and even though I know he’s planning on putting me through hell tomorrow, I smile back.

            Jason leaves the cabin and I feel a small spark of hope building in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, everything will work out on its own in due time.


	26. Flying and the Unexpected

            I wake up the next morning to Jason shaking me gently. I turn over and glare up at him. He smiles in return.

            “Get dressed, time to train.” Is all he says before walking out of the cabin. I groan inwardly and stretch before getting up. I dress quickly and tie my hair back before grabbing the sword Percy let me keep and run outside. The air is chilly and part of me hopes that it’ll warm up as the day continues. It’s still dark as I jog over to the arena. Jason is already waiting for me when I get there. He holds no weapon, only a gold coin in his hands.

            “I thought we were going to train.” I say as I slowly approach him.

            “We are.” Jason stuffs his coin in his pocket and points at my sword. “You don’t need that right now though, we’re going to see if you have the power over air.”

            “Is that something children of Zeus normally have?” I ask, setting my sword against the wall of the arena.

            Jason shrugs. “I have it, I figure we should find out if you do too. Also, you seem to be able to create storms, so I assume you have some ability over the element.”

            “Okay then, how do we test this theory?” I ask awkwardly.

            “Close your eyes.” Jason instructs, I give him an _are-you-kidding-me_ look and he looks pointedly at me. I close my eyes. “Now think about the air around you.”

            “You’re joking right?” I ask, still keeping my eyes closed.

            “Alaina, just do it.” Jason says irritably. I sigh and try and focus on the air. A slight breeze blows on my face. “Now relax a little. Think about becoming one with the air, like it being a part of you.”

            “Like an extra limb or something?” I ask, smirking. Jason flicks my ear.

            “Exactly like that. Think of the air as an extension of yourself. Try and make it bend to your will.”

            I relax and think about the air around me, willing it to solidify into something real. A gentle breeze stirs around me. I will it to pick up speed a little and the breeze becomes slightly wilder. I smile.

            “Good, now think about it becoming solid under your feet.” I do as I’m told and envision the air become solid under my feet, almost as if I were standing on a concrete step. “You’re doing great.” Jason says and I can hear the smile in his voice.

            “Can I open my eyes?” I ask.

            “As long as you can stay focused.” Jason replies.

            Hesitantly, I open my eyes a peep and look down, I’m floating about six inches above the ground and I open my eyes up all the way. I smile at Jason and he grins back.

            “At least we sort of have one of your powers under control.” He jokes.

            “What next?” I ask excitedly.

            “We see if you can fly.” He teases.

            “Don’t play, Sparky. Can we really fly?” I ask in amazement.

            Jason laughs and floats higher in the sky, he looks like he’s gliding across the air.

            “Teach me how to do that!” I call up.

            “Just use your imagination!” he calls back.

            I think about floating higher and the wind wraps around me and skyrockets me upward. I scream in delight.

            “Take it easy! Don’t fly too high or lose focus!” Jason calls out, hovering closer to me.

            We’re about seven feet in the air and I’m smiling widely. I look around and float higher, I can start to see the treetops from a bird’s eye view and I laugh in pleasure. Jason hovers near me, but I feel as free as a bird. I zoom upward and Jason follows closely.

            “Alaina, be careful, you’re still new to this.” Jason says cautiously.

            I look at him and I can see he’s worried.

            “You’re right, I’ll be careful.” I smile in reassurance. I feel the wind buffering me, swirling around me protectively. I will it to loosen its hold and I drop several feet before catching myself again, Jason instinctively rushes forward. I smile at him.

            “That’s not funny, Alaina.” Jason says sternly.

            “Yeah?” I ask in amusement. “But this is.” And I fly upwards and spin in midair, laughing hysterically. _This is what freedom feels like._ I think happily. This experience was so new to me, considering my mother basically controlled every aspect of my life. I blink and realize how bitter I was becoming over that fact. _My mother was controlling._ I think and for the first time I realized how true that was. Anger bubbles inside of me. _How could someone do that to their child?_

            “Alaina!” Jason calls out. I look around but I don’t see him. I look down and realize he’s struggling to catch up to me. That’s when I notice how high up I am. The wind was thrashing violently around me and somehow my hair had fallen out of its tie and was flickering around me as I was gliding higher and higher into the sky.

            That’s when I started to panic. The wind buffering harshly against my face. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to focus, but I felt like my body was being pulled one way and my mind was being pulled a different way. Somewhere off in the distance, I hear Jason calling out for me to calm down. That’s when things spiral out of control and I feel the panic washing over me. My consciousness is ripped from my body and I know I’m falling and that I’ve lost all control as the panic takes over and I’m thrown into another vision.

            “Help!” I scream as I plummet down. I see huge looming rocks on either side of me as I flail while I fall to my sure death. “Somebody!”

            Somewhere above me I hear a gruff voice order Jason to come after me. Suddenly, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist and I scream. The wind whistles in my ears and my hair whips around my face. The wind dies and I note how my scream dies into a gasp.

            “J-J-Jason.” I somehow manage to say through my panic. I look at him and he opens his eyes and I’m thrown back into reality.

            I open my eyes and see Jason racing towards me as I’m in a free fall, the ground underneath me was getting closer and closer with each passing second. I take a deep breath and try and get control over my emotions. The fall slows and Jason’s able to catch up, wrapping his arms around me protectively and gently lowering us back towards the ground.

            When my feet touch the ground I instantly crumple and Jason kneels down next to me, concern written all over his face. I realize I’m shaking violently and I take a deep breath to calm myself.

            “Alaina, are you alright?” Jason asks hesitantly.

            I nod slowly. “Just a little freaked out, but I’ll be fine…I think.” I reply slowly.

            “You panicked up there, why?” Jason asked.

            I open my mouth to reply when pain courses through my body. I cry out in alarm and grasp my stomach. I gasp for air and it’s hard for me to breathe.

            “Alaina!” Jason calls out in alarm. He grasps my shoulders and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. Once I close my eyes though, I see the forest. I feel myself struggling to walk, one hand wrapped around my stomach. I groan in pain.

            “Someone…someone’s in the forest.” I gasp through waves of pain.

            “What do you mean?” Jason asked, now confused. “Alaina, are you okay? What’s happening?”

            “Someone’s in the woods, someone’s hurt. Jason, we have to find them.” I say. I grit my teeth from the pain and try to stand up, I wobble on my feet and Jason steadies me.

            “Alaina, please just relax, you’re in pain.” Jason pleads.

            “Not my pain, it’s whoever is in the forest.” I shudder as a new wave of pain rockets down my body from my shoulder. “Please Jason, whoever it is, they’re hurt badly.” I say, desperation filling my voice.

            Jason gives me a look that reads _I-don’t-want-you-to-do-this-but-you’re-going-to-do-it-anyways_ and nods. Another wave of pain ripples through me and I shudder once more.

            “Where are they?” Jason asks.

            I take a deep breath and close my eyes again. I hear running water and I stumble into trees, leaning hard against them. My breath is ragged and I look down at my hands and see they’re soaked in blood. I curse in frustration and continue walking. I stumble and fall to the ground, barely able to keep from hurting myself even more. I lay on the ground as wave after wave of pain washes over me, numbing my senses.

            “In the woods, near the creek.” I gasp. I realize I’m crying from the pain and wipe away the tears. Jason gives me that disapproving look again and I gather up all my strength and take off running towards the woods, Jason following closely behind me.

            I nearly crumple as a new wave of pain overrides my senses. Jason reaches out to steady me and as soon as it passes, I’m running again. I run blindly, relying on my senses to find the person who’d fallen in the woods. I slow down as I approach the creek, frantically looking around trying to find the person I knew was there somewhere.

            I close my eyes and I see two trees that are distinctive from the rest. Their branches curl and it looks like they’re spiraling out from of the tree itself. I open my eyes and look around frantically. I spot the trees about ten feet away and rush over to them, Jason follows me and I collapse as a wave of pain stems from my leg. I cry out as I hit the ground hard.

            “Alaina!” Jason shouts as he gently lifts me from the ground. I steady myself and rush over to the trees, looking at the ground. A few feet away I see a body lying in the grass and I rush over, dropping down next to them. I grab their hand and instantly check for a pulse. _One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand._ I count silently, praying for some sign that they were still alive. I count out a few more seconds and finally I feel it, a small throb, and I sigh in relief.

            Jason kneels down beside me and gives me a questioning look and I nod in response, indicating that they were alive. Jason slowly rolls them onto their side and I’m surprised by who it was. Jason brushes back their hair and I look down at the face of Nico di Angelo.


	27. Being Torn Apart

            Jason uses the air to lift Nico up without the risk of hurting him more and carefully manages to get him out of the woods without any trouble. I follow behind in shock, confused on how I knew he was in the woods to begin with. Jason and I don’t speak as we hurry towards the Big House. All I can think about is how faint Nico’s pulse was and how limp his body looked, floating in midair. I swallow the lump in my throat and try to control my emotions. I could still feel the pain, but it was more of a dull ache now that Nico had been found.

            Jason keeps glancing back at me and I know he’s concerned about how I’m dealing. It’s not every day that you find someone practically dead in the woods with no explanation on how you knew they were there. Jason slows down as we approach the Big House and slowly lowers Nico onto the porch. He finally looks back at me. His eyes are clouded in worry and I don’t know who he’s more worried about, Nico or myself.

            “Alaina, please go find either Chiron or Mr. D. We need someone to help him fast otherwise Nico might die. Meet me in the infirmary.” Jason says quickly, his tone serious. I nod and take off into the house. I call out for Dionysus and Chiron but I don’t get any response. I run frantically into several rooms, shouting for help.

            I stumble out of a random room and I’m on the verge of tears. Nico was going to die because I wasn’t able to find someone to help him. I’m too caught up in my distress to look where I’m going and run into someone. I stumble and they steady me. I look up and realize its Dionysus.

            “Oh thank the gods, Mr. D.! Please you have to help Nico…he’s hurt. He may even die!” I cry in exasperation. Dionysus stares down at me for a moment and for a second I fear he’s just going to tell me to go away and to stop bothering him. My heart races as the time drags on.

            “I know. I heard you and that other boy bring him in. Now calm down and let’s see what we can do.” Dionysus says tiredly and walks away. I hurry behind him, silently willing him to walk a little faster. My heart was still racing in my chest and I was so scared we wouldn’t make it back in time. _In time._ I shudder, I didn’t want to think about what would happen if we didn’t get there soon.

            Dionysus pushes open the door to the infirmary and Jason is leaning over Nico, trying to pour some of the golden liquid Rachel had given me into his mouth. Nico’s shirt was off and his stomach and shoulder were a bloody mess. Dionysus walks cockily over to him and analyzes the situation. Jason quickly moves out of his way and all I can do is stare at the scene, paralyzed.

            Dionysus gently places a hand over Nico’s chest, right above his heart, and mutters to himself. He turns around and glares at us, his mood suddenly shifting. “You two, get out of here. Jordan, go find Chiron and you,” he points at me. “Go back to your cabin and don’t come back in here.”

            Jason mumbles about how his name isn’t Jordan and rushes out. I stare at Dionysus.

            “What are you going to do to him?” I ask, still unable to move.

            Dionysus squints at me, which turns his already childish face into something similar to that of a pugs. “I need Apollo to heal him, your friend here will die without his healing.”

            “Then why do I have to leave?” I demand.

            “Because I told you to and if you dare question my motives again I will turn you into a grapevine.” Dionysus threatens.

            “Like I’m so scared.” I reply angrily and leave before Dionysus could even think about actually tuning me into a grapevine. I hurry out of the Big House and stand on the porch for a few minutes. I felt like my chest was being constricted, which was making it hard to breathe. I was still taking deep gasping breaths when Jason finally emerged from the building. He looked surprised to see me there, struggling to breathe normally.

            “Are you okay, Alaina?” he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nod even though I felt like I was dying. Jason’s brow furrowed. “I think you should get some rest.” Jason suggests. I shake my head.

            “I want to train still.” I manage. Jason looks at me skeptically.

            “That might not be a good idea.” Jason replies.

            “What good am I if I just go back to my cabin, Jason? I’ll only end up worrying more, at least if I’m training my attention is focused on something other than the fact that we found Nico practically dead in the woods!” I say angrily, as I blink back tears. _When did I become so emotional?_

            “About that, how did you know he was there?” Jason asks curiously.

            I hesitate for a moment, thinking it over myself. “I don’t know.” I admit. “I closed my eyes and suddenly it was like I _was_ Nico, I knew where he was and that he was in trouble…I don’t know how to explain it.”

            “Alaina, this isn’t normal-“ Jason starts, but I cut him off.

            “I know, Jason. I don’t know why this is happening though.” I snap. “I can’t control it either. Ever since I got here, things have been weird and it’s only getting worse.” I add glumly. Jason looks like he wants to say something comforting, but I don’t let him. “I’m just going to go back to the arena. You don’t need to train with me, I’ll train by myself.”

            I walk off without hearing Jason’s response. I didn’t want to hear him tell me to go back to the cabin and just sit around doing nothing. I felt a pulsing wave go through my body, like an electric outlet being charged. I close my hand into a fist to stop it from shaking. I walk back to the arena and when I get there I realize no one else is there.

            I walk to the middle of the area and just stand there, feeling alone and helpless. I hated this feeling. I knew I was so much stronger than this, but all I could think about is how much of my life has been turned upside down since I’ve arrived here. I shake my head and walk over to the shed and start pulling out training dummies. I place them at different spots across the entirety of the arena so that they form a large circle around me. I pick up my sword and stand in the middle with my sword in my hand.

            I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I listen for a second and I feel the wind whisper through my hair. I concentrate on mapping out the entire arena in my mind, where I’d placed the dummies, how far away they were from me, what position I’d set them in. After I had a picture perfect map drawn in my head, I open my eyes and spring into action.

            I attack the first dummy, stabbing it through the chest with my sword and kicking it out of my way. Wind whistles in my left ear and I turn to the left and attack the next dummy. Arching my sword upwards and successfully cutting the arm off the dummy. I kick that one out of the way too and continue attacking the rest of the dummies until none of them are left standing. I’m breathing heavily and my muscles are still tensed for a fight.

            A soft wind swirls around me and it leans in towards my right side as if it’s trying to whisper a secret to me. I instinctively turn and sweep my foot out, tripping the person that had been approaching me. They land on their back hard and I can hear the breath being knocked out of them. I quickly place my foot on their chest so they can’t get up and nuzzle the tip of my sword under their chin.

            “Alaina, stop.” They choke out and I blink and realize it was Leo. I instantly back off and back away a few feet while Leo sits up, rubbing his neck.

            “Sorry.” I say immediately. I can’t read the expression on Leo’s face and I felt guilty. I hadn’t even realized what I’d been doing. “Sorry.” I say again. Leo looks at me and then at the dummies that were lying in various places across the arena.

            “Looks like you’ve been having fun.” Leo jokes, standing up.

            I back up another foot. “Leo, I’m sorry, honestly, I didn’t know it was you.” I hesitate and am about to apologize again when Leo holds up his hand for me to stop.

            “No harm, no foul.” He grins.

            “Leo-“ I start again, but he waves a hand dismissively at me.

            “I’m still alive right? You didn’t hurt me. It’s okay, Alaina.” Leo assures me.

            “I still should have been paying attention. I could have seriously hurt you.” I say.

            “But you didn’t.” Leo counters. “Anyway, I wanted to apologize about last night. You seemed pretty upset when you left.” Leo starts awkwardly.

            “It’s okay, I was just frustrated. Can we forget about that?” I plead.

            Leo nods. “Okay, but I wanted you to have this.” Leo reaches into the tool belt I hadn’t noticed he was still wearing and pulls out something wrapped in a cloth. I instantly know what it is.

            “Leo, no.” I say, but he shakes his head and laughs lightly as he unwraps the object and I stare at it. He gently strokes its spine and it whirls to life. Leo looks at me proudly and I half smile in response. “You programmed it.” I say in amazement. Leo nods.

            “It wasn’t hard to do, I had already started making the control disk and all I had to do was wire it and-“ Leo stops when he sees the expression on my face. “But you don’t care about the circuitry that went into it.” He says. I smile apologetically at him and he laughs. He holds the object out to me and I hesitate before approaching him.

            “I know it’s technically not _real_ , but it’s as close as I could get it to be.” Leo says shyly.

            I stare at the figure and it turns it head to me and smoke puffs from it. Leo holds it out even further for me to take and I hesitantly touch the small object. It cautiously watches me as I stroke the warm metal surface. It cocks its head to the side and puffs out smoke again. I hold out my entire hand and it stares at me warily before waddling into my palm. Leo is smiling encouragingly and I cup the small creature in my hands.

            I stare down into the face of my very own seven inch tall metal dragon. It scratches its robotic arms against my palm and then snuggles against them. I try and keep my hands from shaking as it contently blows out little black puffs of smoke from its nostrils.

            “Leo-“ I try to say, but stop because I felt like I was about to cry. I look at him and he’s just smiling happily. “Thank you.” I say and smile in return.

            “You said you wanted a real dragon, so I made one.” Leo replies.

            “You didn’t have to.” I say, looking back the bronze dragon. It had its eyes closed and was still nestled in my palms. “I’m glad you did though.”

            “So are we okay then?” Leo asks hesitantly.

            I laugh. “We’re okay.” I reply and Leo smiles at me.

            I walk over to the wall of the arena and gently place the dragon down. It opens one eye at me and I smile down at it. It puffs out a small cloud of black steam in response and closes its eye again. I walk back over to Leo and start picking up the dummies I’d ruined. Leo helps me and we’re just kind of awkwardly cleaning up the arena for a few minutes without speaking.

            “You know, you’re going to have to name him.” Leo finally says.

            “What do I name a metal dragon?” I ask.

            “Whatever you want to name it, he’s yours.” Leo replies.

            I glance over at the sleeping dragon and a shiver runs through his metallic frame. “Lightning.” I say finally.

            I look at Leo, he’s giving me a questioning look. “Why Lightning?” he asks.

            “When I first talked to you, you jokingly called me Lightning, remember? So his name is Lightning, seeing as you made him and all.” I say.

            “Actually, you made him, I just programmed him.” Leo smirks and I shake my head.

            “You know what I meant.” I retort and Leo laughs lightly.

            “Lightning…” Leo says softly after a few minutes. He glances at the dragon who opens his eyes and glares at us, like he knew we were talking about him. Leo smiles and the dragon snorts in annoyance and closes his eyes again. “Alright, I like it.” I smile at his response and Leo and I finish up cleaning the arena.

            Once we’ve finished, we sit on the seats in the arena. Leo is fiddling around with some spare parts he pulled out of his tool belt and I pet Lightning, who rumbles contently, to pass the time. We sit there awkwardly for a few minutes before I finally cave and turn to Leo to ask the question I was dying to know.

            “Why doesn’t your girlfriend go here? She _is_ a demigod, isn’t she?” I ask quickly, my heart pounds in my chest as I wait for his answer. I see the tips of Leo’s ears turn pink and I can tell he feels awkward about this conversation, but I had to know. My heart sinks lower and lower as time passes without Leo saying a word, he just fiddles with the pieces of metal in his hands silently. Finally, I can’t take the silence anymore and snatch the material out of his hands, he looks to me in shock before recovering.

            “Her name is Calypso.” Leo says softly. I felt my stomach drop.

            “Calypso? Like _the_ Calypso? From the old Greek myths, Calypso?” I ask, even though I can tell from the look on his face she was the same person.

            Leo rubs the back of his neck and nods. “Yeah…”

            “Doesn’t she live on an island?” I ask. “What’s it called again….O-oh-oh something.” I look at Leo.

            “Ogygia.” Leo supplies.

            “Right, and she’s your girlfriend?” I wrinkle my brow in confusion.

            “Uh, sort of.” Leo replies awkwardly.

            “Sort of? How is someone sort of your girlfriend?” I ask.

            Leo sighs sadly and I glance at him. He’s staring off into space as if he’s no longer sitting there next to me. Leo looks incredible sad and I feel my heart constrict. After a moment Leo looks at me and smiles sadly.

            “It’s not an official thing, plus I’ve barely been able to see her in the past three years.” Leo say finally.

            “I don’t understand.” I admit.

            Leo turns to me and all of a sudden there’s this glint in his eyes, as if some new wave of emotion has come over him. His hands start shaking and he nervously flexes and extends them.

            “Okay, I don’t know how much of the Greek myths you’ve read, but the ones about Calypso, the most famous one is when Odysseus crashes on her island right?” Leo asks frantically.

            “Yeah, she was banished to an island…Ogygia?” I clarify and Leo nods. “So Odysseus’ ship crashes into her island and she basically keeps him prisoner there for like seven years, right? Then she ends up falling in love with him, but the gods send Hermes down to tell her she has to let him return to his wife or something like that. She doesn’t want to, but she ends up giving him a raft and he sails off the island and she’s left heartbroken.” I finish, looking to Leo. He nods and I furrow my brow in confusion. “But, wasn’t she said to have died from a broken heart? How could she still be alive?”

            “That was just a myth, she didn’t die. Yeah, she was left heartbroken for years and the gods would taunt her. They’d occasionally send heroes that she would always fall for and then take them away from her. It wasn’t fair, it’s still not fair for her.” Leo clenched his fists in anger. “You know after the second Titan war, Percy made all the gods swear on the river Styx to claim their children and to set amnesty on all the other gods and goddesses that supported the Titans in the first war that have changed sides, like Calypso. They agreed and they never freed Calypso. That wasn’t fair.”

            “Is she still trapped on Ogygia?” I ask softly.

            Leo shakes his head. “No. She got off her island, the gods moved her to Olympus. I was able to see her for some time, but then the gods ordered her to be sent away again. They didn’t approve…I-I don’t know where she is now. I can’t even get in contact with her anymore, and I’ve tried.”

            Leo looked crushed and I felt a pang in my chest. “I can try and help you find her if you want my help.” I offer. Leo shakes his head. “Leo, I don’t want to see you so broken.” I put my hand on his arm and he looks at me and all I can see is how torn up he is over her. I open my mouth to say something else when I’m jolted out of reality for the second time that day.


	28. A Trip to Ogygia

            “What are you _doing_? You blew up my dining table!” A girl’s voice screams at me.

            _Not again._ I think to myself. I look up and a girl was standing at the edge of a crater glaring down at me. Instantly, I knew she was a goddess. I notice she wears a white Greek-style dress with a gold braided belt. Her hair was long, straight, and golden brown. Her face was pale and her dark eyes were almond shaped. I guessed she looked about fifteen here. _When and where is here though?_ All of a sudden I felt a wave of dislike flow through my body, except I didn’t know this girl enough to dislike her.

            “Oh, I’m sorry!” I shout at her. “I just fell out of the sky. I constructed a helicopter in midair, burst into flames halfway down, crash-landed, and barely survived. But by all means-let’s talk about your dining table!” I lean down and snatch up a half-melted goblet. “Who puts a dining table on the beach where innocent demigods can crash into it? Who _does_ that?”

            I instantly knew that I was reliving a memory of Leo’s and, with a jolt, I realized the girl standing above me clenching her fists in anger must be Calypso. I look at her more closely and I realize she’s extremely pretty and I felt a pang of jealousy. I would never live up to her, so I guess it was a good thing that nothing was going on between me and Leo. Leo had Calypso, and even though they weren’t technically together, I was not going to get messed up in that. I’m startled back to the memory when Calypso looks up to the sky and screams,

            “REALLY? You want to make my curse ever _worse_? Zeus! Hephaestus! Hermes! Have you no shame?”

            “Uh…I doubt they’re listening. You know, the whole split personality thing-“ I say before Calypso interrupts again by shouting at the empty sky. _Split personalities?_

            “Show yourself! It’s not bad enough I am exiled? It’s not bad enough you take away the few _good_ heroes I’m allowed to meet? You think it’s funny to send me this-this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquility? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!” She was completely ignoring me, well Leo actually.

            “Hey, Sunshine, I’m right here you know.” I say sarcastically.

            “Do _not_ call me Sunshine! Get out of that hole and come with me _now_ so I can get you off my island!” Calypso growls. The more of this memory I see, the more I wonder what Leo sees in her. She was being completely hateful towards him.

            The scene shifts in front of me and turns white. I look around but see nothing. _What is going on?_ I think as I whirl around, looking for something, anything at all. I start to panic when I hear voices to my left. I turn towards the noise and squint into the distance, barely able to make out some movement and color. I take a leap of fate and rush towards it. I rush out into a new scene, this time Leo was standing near an entrance to a cave and Calypso was kneeling in a vegetable garden.

            “You’re crying.” Leo says, bluntly and I face palm for him.

            “None of your business,” Calypso mutters. “It’s a big island. Just…find your own place. Leave me alone.” She waves in one direction and continues. “Go that way maybe.”

            “So, no magic raft,” Leo says. “No other way off the island?”

            “Apparently not!” Calypso snaps in response.

            “What am I supposed to do, then? Sit in the sand dunes until I die?” Leo asks.

            “That would be fine….Except I suppose he _can’t_ die here, can he? Zeus! This is not funny!” She screams again, throwing down the tool she was holding.

            “Hold up.” Leo pauses for a moment and I can practically see his mind racing. “I’m going to need some more information here. You don’t want me in your face, that’s cool. I don’t want to be here either. But I’m not going to go die in a corner. I have to get off this island. There’s _got_ to be a way. Every problem has a fix.”

            Calypso laughs bitterly. “You haven’t lived very long, if you still believe that.”

            Leo shivers and changes gears. “You said something about a curse.” He prompts.

            “Yes. I cannot leave Ogygia. My father, Atlas, fought against the gods, and I supported him.” Calypso says.

            “Atlas, as in the _Titan_ Atlas.”

            Calypso rolls her eyes at Leo. “Yes you impossible little…” she catches herself and tries again. “I was imprisoned here, where I could cause the Olympians no trouble. About a year ago, after the Second Titan War, the gods vowed to forgive their enemies and offer amnesty. Supposedly, Percy made them promise-“

            “Percy? Percy Jackson?” Leo asks confused. I watch as Calypso squeezes her eyes shut and a tear trickles down her cheek. I felt bad for her at that moment and I could tell Leo felt something too. “Percy came here.” Leo states.

            “I-I thought I would be released. I dared to hope…but I am still here.”

            The scene shifts again and I see glimpses of Leo working on the Archimedes sphere he had in Bunker Nine, him sleeping in a makeshift hut, and him walking around the island. As soon as the vision came forward, it retreated again, bringing another with it. More scenes whirl by me in a blur and I assume that they’re all images from Leo’s time on Ogygia. Finally, the scene refocuses.

            “I’m _hoping_ to get off this island. That is what you want, right?” Leo snaps at Calypso.

            “You haven’t eaten in two days. Take a break and _eat._ ” Calypso scowls. Leo looks surprised by this.

            “Two days?” he asks. I see something flash across his face and he mutters, “Thanks. I’ll, uh, try to hammer more quietly.”

            “Huh.” Was all Calypso says.

            _He’s falling for her._ I think and I wonder why I was seeing all of this. _Why is this important?_ The scene shifts again and Calypso is standing behind Leo holding clothes.

            “I brought you-“ She starts before Leo jumps in surprise.

            “Bronze bulls, girl! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” I watch as Leo stares at Calypso. I could see him trying not to stare too long at her and I felt a wave of sadness.

            “I wasn’t _sneaking_ , I was bringing you these.” She shows him the clothes in her hands and I watch as several emotions race across Leo’s face.

            “How?” he asks.

            Calypso sets the clothes at his feet and backs away. “I do have a little magic, you know. You keep burning through the clothes I give you, so I thought I would weave something less flammable.”

            “These won’t burn?” Leo asks as he picks up the jeans and feels the material.

            “They are completely fireproof. They’ll stay clean and expand to fit you, should you ever become less scrawny.” Calypso promises.

            “Thanks.” Leo says and I can tell he means it. “So…you made an exact replica of my favorite outfit. Did you, like, Google me or something?”

            Calypso frowns. “I don’t know that word.”

            “You looked me up. Almost like you had some interest in me.” Leo explains.

            Calypso wrinkles her nose. “I have an interest in not making you a new set of clothes every other day. I have an interest in your not smelling so bad and walking around my island in smoldering rags.”

            “Oh yeah. You’re really warming up to me.” Leo grins.

            Calypso’s face gets red and I can’t tell if it is from anger or embarrassment. “You are the most insufferable person I have ever met! I was only returning the favor!”

            The scene dissolves in front of me and I see more glimpses of his memories and one catches my eye and I struggle to hold onto it. Calypso is wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, which makes her look less like a goddess and more like a real mortal. The scene is ripped from my view and more memories swarm me.

            A brief scene holds up and I hear Leo offer for Calypso to come with him off of the island. I watch as her eyes soften a bit and I could tell that they were totally falling for each other, despite what had happened before. I watch as she declines and I could tell that stung for Leo. The scene changes and a new scene settles in its place. Leo and Calypso are sitting next to each other on a bench and Calypso is weaving bronze coils together while Leo watches her.

            “Huh,” he says. “Well, if you ever get off this island and want a job, let me know. You’re not a total klutz.”

            Calypso smirks at Leo. “A job, eh? Making things in your forge?” She asks.

            “Nah, we could start our own shop. Leo and Calypso’s Garage:  Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters.” He replies.

            “Fresh fruits and vegetables.” Calypso offers the idea.

            “Cider and stew.” Leo adds and I watch as they interact with each other so easily, like they’d never fought before. “We could even provide entertainment. You could sing and I could, like, randomly burst into flames.” Then the most surprising thing happens: Calypso laughs. I watch as Leo’s face immediately lights up at the sound. “See, I’m funny.” He says.

            Calypso manages to frown at him. “You are _not_ funny. Now, get back to work, or no cider and stew.”

            “Yes ma’am.” Leo says and I could hear the smile he was trying to hide in his voice.   
            The scene changes once more and Calypso and Leo were sitting on the beach having a picnic near where Leo had crash landed, they were talking heavily and I was unable to hear what was going on but I could tell Leo was nervous and Calypso was upset by whatever he’d just said. Leo stopped midsentence and looks out over the water as a large wooden raft floats towards the beach. I watch as Leo sits there stunned. Calypso gets up immediately and hurries over to it and suddenly I’m able to hear their conversation again.

            “Hurry, I don’t know how long it will stay!” she shouts at Leo.

            “But…That’s the magic raft?” Leo says, confused.

            “Duh!” Calypso yells in response. “It _might_ work like it’s supposed to and take you where you want to go. But we can’t be sure. The island’s magic is obviously unstable. You must rig up your guidance device to navigate.”

            Calypso starts into motion and Leo quickly follows suit, they set up the raft with the Archimedes sphere and the two of them set up the sail.

            “Go.” Calypso says.

            Leo turns toward her and says, “The raft finally got here.”

            Calypso snorts in response. “You just noticed?”

            “But if it only shows up for guys you like-“ Leo starts and I could already predict where he was going with this. Suddenly, I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. I raise my hand to my mouth to keep from choking on a sob.

            “Don’t push your luck Leo Valdez. I _still_ hate you.” Calypso replies, but I know she doesn’t mean it.

            “Okay.” Was all Leo replied with.

            “And you are _not_ coming back here so don’t give me any empty promises.” She insists.

            “How about a _full_ promise?’ Leo says. “Because I’m definitely-“

            Calypso suddenly grabs Leo’s face and pulls him into a kiss. After a moment, Calypso pushes him away.

            “That didn’t happen.”

            “Okay.”

            “Get out of here.”

            “Okay.”

            I watch as Calypso turns and wipes her eyes furiously before storming up the beach, away from Leo. I stand in shock, with tears in my eyes as Leo watches her leave. Just like that she was gone, I remember how he told me the gods were being unfair to Calypso by leaving her on this island, but at that moment I knew she wasn’t the only one being treated cruelly. The look on Leo’s face as Calypso runs away from him was enough to break my heart. He climbs onto the raft and a wind picks up and blows him away from the island.

            “I’m coming back for you, Calypso. I swear on the River Styx.” Leo says and at that moment, I knew he meant it, and I knew he had to have succeeded too.

            A strong wind picks up around me and the vision of Leo alone on his raft is ripped from my sight. I’m back in just a white scenery. I turn in all directions again, searching for something. _Maybe there was something more I hadn’t seen?_ I think.

            “You’ve seen it all, Alaina.” A voice replies, as if reading my thoughts.

            “Hello? Is someone else there?” I call out, whirling around. Laughter floats around me and I feel my blood turn cold as I realize it’s the voice from one of my previous dreams. “Who are you?” I call out in fear.

            “You don’t have to be afraid of me, child. I will not harm you.” The voice says.

            “What’s going on?” I ask, still looking around for the person.

            “You want answers, Alaina. I can give you them. I understand your pain, your struggle.” The voice says calmly.

            “What struggle? Who are you?” I call out, panicking.

            “You’ll see soon enough, you need me, my dear. I will be there when your friends, your father, even your mother, fail to be there for you. You will know me soon enough.”

            “Why can’t I know now?” I ask.

            “You are still learning, your powers will grow remarkably, but the daughter of Zeus is right, you must learn to control them or they will control you.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Wake up, Alaina. Dreams are no longer your friend.” The voice whispers in my ear. I feel a searing pain in my head and I scream in pain.

            I’m jolted back into reality and I instantly realize I’m struggling against Leo, but it doesn’t register right away.

            “Alaina!” he cries in panic as I flail in panic, almost giving Leo a second black eye. “Alaina, stop!” Immediately, I stop struggling and fall to my knees, my legs crumpling under me. My head was pounding and I was trembling. I felt too weak to even think straight. Leo kneels beside me. “Alaina, are you okay?” Leo asks.

            “I’m fine.” I lie, my breath coming in and out in heavy gasps.

            “No, you’re not. You’re pale white and sweaty. We were just talking and all of a sudden you went into this trance and turned pale. Alaina, what’s going on?”

            I let out a shaky breath. “I had some visions, memories actually.” I answer.

            “I don’t understand.” Leo says, looking at me in confusion.

            “I saw your stay on Ogygia, Leo. I saw everything. I saw…I saw you and Calypso and the raft and…and everything.” I close my eyes. _Not a word._ The voice whispers. _Not a word._ I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

            “You started screaming, Alaina. Your eyes turned black.” Leo looks down at me.

            “Can you help me back to my cabin?” I ask, trying to change subjects.

            “Alaina-“

            “Leo, I don’t know why my eyes tuned black, okay? I don’t know what just happened, or how it happened, but I feel like passing out right now. Please, just stop asking me questions I can’t answer.” I plead desperately. Leo hesitates, but nods and helps me up. I lean heavily against him and it’s a slow process to make it back to my cabin, but we get there eventually. Leo helps me lean against the door.

            “Are you going to be okay?” He asks, concern filling his voice and eyes.

            “Yes.” I reply. Leo looks skeptical, but he turns to leave. “Leo!” I call out and he turns back to me. “You swore you’d go back for her.” I say. _Might as well get it over with now._ Leo stares at me. “You made it back, didn’t you?” I ask.

            Leo looks away. “I did.” He answers.

            “You love her.” I state. Leo looks at me and I can tell he’s struggling to control his emotions. I realize he’s no longer the scrawny boy from the memories, he’s tougher, more in control of himself. He’s more confident and definitely more built than before. Leo nods and I knew I couldn’t go on liking him anymore. _He loves her._ “You know we can’t be anything more than friends, right?” I say jokingly, but seriously at the same time.

            “I guess I knew this was coming.” Leo sighs. “Get some rest, Lightning.”

            “Lightning!” I say suddenly. _How did I forget about my new pet already_?

            “Don’t worry, I’ll get him. He’ll be there when you wake up. Just get some sleep.” Leo assures me. I nod and slowly open the door and sluggishly move inside the cabin. I collapse in my little nook and fall asleep. I regret that decision almost immediately.


	29. Nightmares with the Occasional Buzz of Excitement

            I’m back in my Algebra classroom, sitting in my usual seat at the back of the classroom. I stare down at my notebook and wonder what’s happening. The open page shows a sketch of a black lightning bolt. My heart starts to race and I frantically look up and around the room. I’m all alone, sitting in a desk in the middle of the classroom. I glance around the room at the empty desks all around me. I panic and look to the front of the room and at the white board.

            I exhale a shaky breath as I read the words written on it:

_Your quest is coming_

_The mark you’ll bear_

_Be wary of tragedy_

_Or fall to despair._

            I start trembling and I hear laughter. “What does this mean?” I ask cautiously, trying to keep myself calm.

            “ _Exactly what it says, my darling._ ” The voice replies. I squeeze my eyes shut.

            “Why is this happening? Why me?” I ask as a tear falls from my eye.

            “ _That is always the question isn’t it? ‘Why me?’ You’re_ different _, Alaina. You feel it in everything you do, don’t you? The Fates have a special plan for you that even the gods and goddesses of Olympus can’t predict. You are more important to them then you can even imagine._ ”

            “I’m not important.” I whisper.

            “ _You will come to realize how important you are before your eighteenth birthday._ ”

            “What does my eighteenth birthday have to do with anything?” I ask, furrowing my brow in confusion.

            The voices laughs, a haunting laugh, before replying. “ _You will find out soon enough, my child._ ”

            “What do you mean? You want to be helpful right? Why don’t you start telling me what all of this means?” I stand up roughly in fear and I feel whoever the voice is standing behind me. I whirl around and realize I am no longer in my old classroom. Instead, I’m standing at the edge of the same cliff from an earlier nightmare. I turn around in a full circle before facing the edge again. I look over the edge and see the same darkness as before. I take a step back out of fear.

            “Alaina! Get away from the edge!” A voice shouts. I turn around and Nico is rushing towards me.

            “Nico?” I ask.

            “Alaina, please, step away from the edge.” Nico says slowly as he approaches.

            “I don’t understand…” I say and I feel the ground wobble beneath my feet. I look down and suddenly I’m shoved away from the edge. I land hard on my arms and roll over. Nico is standing where I’d been seconds before and I see what’s about to happen a split second before the ground crumbles away. “Nico!” I call out as he falls into the darkness.

            I bolt upright in my makeshift bed and gasp for air. I look around as I try and get control over my breathing patterns. Once I feel like I’m in control, I let out a shaky breath.

            “You were screaming.” A voice from the dark announces. I jump at the sound and look around. I realize the voice was Thalia and that she was staring at me from across the cabin.

            “I was?” I ask.

            “Yes, you started screaming, which woke me up and then you just stopped. You’re lucky Jason is a heavy sleeper.” Thalia says.

            “I’m sorry I woke you up.” I reply. “I was just having a nightmare.” I wince. _Nightmares_.

            “It’s alright.” Thalia says and the two of us are silent for a moment before she says, “I don’t know if anyone has told you yet or not, but demigods don’t dream normally. Our dreams are usually visions, meaning there are no ‘sweet dreams’ or ‘nightmares’ for us. Every dream we have is important.”

            “So you’re saying I shouldn’t just dismiss my nightmare as a nightmare.” I say slowly, feeling my heart drop. _If this isn’t a nightmare, what is it?_

            “I’m saying you should be aware of what your dreams mean.” Thalia replies.

            “Great. Good. Fantastic.” I rub my hand over my face. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be in the Artemis cabin? Why are you here?” I ask.

            “I couldn’t sleep, so I came in here. It’s actually quite ironic, I hate this place.” Thalia says distastefully and looks up at the ceiling. She watches the three lightning bolts racing across the sky. My eyes focus on the black one rippling from gold to black to back to gold and I feel lower than I’ve ever felt before. “Whenever I’m here at camp, everyone looks to me for answers. All because I’m a daughter of Zeus. Jason gets it all the time too, he used to be the praetor of his other camp, mainly because he was a child of Jupiter.” Thalia looks at me. “Everyone’s going to want answers from you, they’ll want you to make the hard decisions, that way the blame is off of them and placed onto you.”

            “That’s selfish of them.” I say.

            Thalia half smiles. “That’s the price we pay. We get to make the hard decisions while they get the easy way out. Funny how the Fates have it, really. Anyway, go back to sleep. Remember, Capture the Flag is tonight, and don’t think because you’re my little sister that means I’ll go easy on you.”

            “Wouldn’t dream of it.” I reply and lay back down. I hear movement from the other side of the room and I assume Thalia is trying to fall back to sleep. There was no way I would be able to fall back to sleep after the dreams I had had. I close my eyes and visions rush through my head. Little tidbits of memories I’d either forgotten or blocked out through the years. I sigh softly and squeeze my eyes shut even tighter. I try to relax and eventually I end up just staring at the wall, thinking about nothing until I hear shuffling from the other side of the room. I sit up and look towards the sound. Jason stumbles bleary-eyed out of his own nook and looks my way. He looks surprised to see me already awake.

            “Hey, I was just about to wake you up.” Jason says softly.

            “I’ve been up for hours actually.” I say. “Bad dreams.” I add after seeing the look on his face.

            “Well, come on. Let’s get ready for breakfast. We have a game to win tonight.” Jason smiles.

            I hear a snort and Thalia comes into view. “As if. You guys haven’t won against us Hunters in years. This time is going to be no different than the last time and the time before that and the time before that and the-“ Thalia continues with a smirk.

            “We get it, no need to rub salt on the wounds.” Jason pouts. I laugh.

            “You Hunters are so going down.” I say before standing up and stretching.

            “Big words coming from a very small person.” Thalia eggs on.

            “Says the girl that thinks she’s tough, but in reality is afraid of heights.” I retort.

            Thalia turns on Jason. “You _told_ her?” she asks angrily.

            Jason gives me an I’m-so-going-to-murder-you-later look and I laugh.

            “Besides, being short has its advantages.” I smirk. Thalia turns back to me, momentarily forgetting Jason.

            “We’ll just have to wait until tonight, won’t we?” Thalia says. I watch as her lip curls into a small smile.

            “Great, it’s a date.” I reply and I watch amusement dance across Thalia’s eyes and for a second I forget that she practically hated me when I first arrived. It was almost as if that had never happened. _Almost._

            Thalia turns and leaves the cabin. I look to Jason and he’s frowning at me.

            “She’s going to murder me, you know.” Jason says. I glance at him.

            “You can take her.” I reply with a smile.

            Jason shakes his head. “You’re underestimating her, just as she’s underestimating you.”

            “Good to know. Besides, I think I’m overestimating her abilities, she obviously has more skills than I do and could easily take me.”

            “Then why are you so cocky?”

            I laugh. “I’m not. I’m just good at pretending, it’s what I do. I’m relying on luck for this game tonight. You say she’s going to murder you? Well, she’s going to end up sending my soul to eternal damnation tonight, just you wait.” I try and joke.

            “Well, you better be pretty lucky then.”

            I look at him and smile. “I’m not.”

            “Well, you’re completely screwed.”

            “Exactly.” I laugh and start towards the door. “Come on, let’s get some food.”

            Jason chuckles and follows me out of the cabin. We walk side by side to the dining pavilion and grab some breakfast. I quickly offer some of my food to the gods and silently ask for a miracle to happen tonight. In less than fourteen hours, I was going to participate in my first Capture the Flag. Excitement flooded my body like an electric current and Jason smiles down at me.

            “You look so stoked for tonight.” He laughs as he sits down at Zeus’ table.

            “That’s because I am.” I smile back as I sit across from him. “I’ve never done anything like this before; it’s going to be so great.”

            “Yeah, I can’t wait to see how you do.” Jason’s eyes sparkle with amusement and I look behind him as the other campers file in. Some look very excited, while others slowly trudge forward. _It must be because they’ve lost so many times that they’ve given up on winning._ I glance around and see Leo. He grins at me and flashes a thumbs up as he heads towards the Hephaestus table. I shake my head at him and continue looking around. I see Percy with his arm around Annabeth as they walk up to the pavilion, talking in whispered voices.

            Jason continues talking about tonight’s game and I smile and nod along to what he’s saying as I glance around the pavilion again at everyone’s faces. I see a rush of emotions: determination, excitement, happiness. Everyone is talking and the pavilion is alive with chatter. I happen to glance over at the Hades table and my blood runs cold. The smile slips off my face as I see Nico limping slightly towards his table.

            I stand up abruptly and Jason jumps back in surprise.

            “Alaina, are you alright?” I hear Jason ask, but it sounds like he’s miles away.

            My heart starts to race frantically as I say, “Yeah, I just have to go…” I don’t finish my sentence as I practically dash away from the table. I had to talk to Nico, he knew something. That was the only logical reason he could have gotten hurt. _But what did he find out?_


	30. More Advice with No Answers

            I nervously make my way to the Hades table, dodging other campers in the process. I didn’t dare take my eyes off of Nico, for fear that I may have been hallucinating about him being there. _Wouldn’t be the first time._ My subconscious mutters sarcastically. _Shut up._ I think back. I watch as Nico sits down slowly and winces in pain. He gently touches his side and I wonder how badly he’d been hurt that even Apollo’s magic couldn’t heal him fully.

            Someone steps in my path and I almost run into them in my hurry to get to Nico. I look up and it’s Thalia. I glance behind her at Nico and then back at her.

            “I really have to-“ I don’t even get to finish before she interrupts me.

            “I wouldn’t if I were you.” She warns, her blue eyes flashing silver for a second.

            A wave of anger falls on me. “You have no right in telling me what to do.” I state coldly. _So we’re back to square one I guess._

            “Apollo’s magic still lingers on him; if you intervene it could reverse everything.” Thalia says.

            “Intervene? All I want to do is talk to him!” I cry in protest.

            “You want to find out what happened, don’t you?” Thalia says. I stare at her in shock.

            “How did-“

            “I talked with Chiron.” Thalia says dismissively. “Nico doesn’t remember anything from the last few days. We don’t know what happened to him and he doesn’t either. You pushing for answers may reverse the healing process and Nico will die. Even godly magic has its limitations. So I suggest if you care about him in any form you would walk back to Zeus’ table and not intervene with the healing process.”

            My cheeks heat up slightly from embarrassment. _If you care about him in any form._ “Why would Chiron tell you this and not me? I found him; I should at least get to know what the hell is wrong with him!” I huff.

            “There are some things that you don’t need to know and there are things in this world you can’t understand. There are worse things outside the boarders of camp that would make even the gods cringe in fear. Things that would make you go insane.” Thalia says ominously.

            “Good thing I’m halfway there.” I snap before pushing past her.

            “Alaina!” She calls out and grabs my arm. A split second later my head fells like a hole is being drilled into it and my vision clouds. I see a young blonde girl running behind a younger looking Thalia. An older guy with blonde hair is running in front of them. He turns around and yells for them to catch up. Thalia glances behind her and grabs the little girl’s arm. She looks to what’s chasing them.

            I feel a rush of terror as I watch a glowing red eye appear from the darkness. The blonde girl screams in fright and trips. Thalia pulls her up and pushes her ahead towards the other boy.

            “Thalia!” the girl screams. Thalia yells for her to run and turns back around to face the creature just as a giant club swings into her. She flies through the air and crashes to the ground, lying motionless. The little girl screams and rushes towards Thalia but the boy grabs her and pulls her back. I watch as a blue lightning bolt shoots from the sky and washes over Thalia’s body. Thalia’s body glows with the eerie blue light and a ray of light lashes out and vaporizes the monster allowing yellow dust to float in the air on the wind.

            Thalia’s body continues to glow with light and I watch as her body becomes encased by the light and starts to transform into a white pine tree. The blue light washes over the camp creating a glowing blue boarder. The light fades a moment later and all that’s left of Thalia is a bright white pine tree in front of the camp.

            I turn back to the others Thalia had been with. The little girl has tears streaming down her face and the boy just stares at the tree with his jaw set and I can see the sadness in his eyes. I knew he was trying to be strong for the younger girl but even I could tell that Thalia’s death was affecting him more than he let on.

            The vision passes and I’m jarred back into reality. I stagger away from Thalia in shock and she gives me a weird look.

            “Are you alright?” she asks cautiously.

            I turn to her, my breath coming out in ragged gasps. “Yeah, of course I am.”

            Thalia looks skeptical. “No you’re not. One second you were pissed at me the next you looked like you’d seen a ghost.” Thalia eyes me suspiciously.

            I feel my vision darkening at the edges and I look away from her anxiously. I try and blink away the darkness but it doesn’t help. I glance at Nico and he has this confused look on his face. He glances up at me and I turn away. I can barely hear Thalia calling my name, asking if I was alright. I take off away from the pavilion and into the bathrooms by the cabins. I stumble over to the sinks and lean over them.

            My breath is ragged and my vision fades in and out. I hear whispering, but I know I’m alone in the bathroom. Everyone else was at the pavilion for breakfast.

            “ _She is strong, she can control it._ ” An old voice says confidently.

            ” _I wouldn’t be so sure, she has yet to face her biggest challenge yet._ ” Another voice replies.

            I wince as a sharp pain hits right behind my eyes. A cold shudder rushes down my spine.

            “ _The power may be too strong for her to handle, it may consume her._ ” A third voice inputs.

            “No! I know her, I know she is strong. She will not fail.” A familiar voice says defiantly. “She cannot.” The voice adds softly.

            I feel a pain in my chest and my vision clears completely. I feel like I’d been stabbed. I touch my chest and sink to the floor. I could feel the voices in my head and I got the feeling that they were watching me from a place I couldn’t reach.

            “Mom.” I whisper softly, still clutching my chest. I could feel whoever belonged to the other three voices shift uncomfortably. There was a brief hesitation before she spoke.

            “Alaina, you can hear us?” My mother asks slowly.

            “Yes! Mom, where are you? Why can I hear you?” I ask frantically.

            Whispers resound in my ears.

            “ _Her powers are out of control, I knew this would happen._ ”

            “ _They are only adapting, she can control this._ ”

            “Control what? What are they saying, Mom? Who are they?” I could feel the darkness creeping back in the corner of my vision.

            “Alaina, I can’t give you the answers you want and need. Good luck in your game tonight, my darling.” My mother says and I know she’s avoiding my questions.

            “Mom! Wait, please, what’s going on?” I cry out and blackness covers my vision. I shrink back against the wall in fear. Laughter filters in around me and I panic at the sound. It’s the Voice again.

            “ _Mother can’t help you now. Not that she was able to before._ ” The Voice says arrogantly.

            “Please stop.” I whisper and shrink back. I can’t see anything except blackness and I was starting to lose my grip on reality. _Was this real or was this all a part of my imagination?_

“ _You can’t stop what’s already in motion, my dear. You are a part of a complicated web of lies_. _Accept your fate while you can or it will consume you._ ” 

            A wave of adrenaline courses into my body and I somehow find the courage to push past my fears. There was no way I was going to let some strange voice intimidate me. “Stop!” I shout in defiance. “I refuse to be a part of anything!”

            The Voice laughs. “ _As you wish._ ” A second later I feel ice cold fingers touch my forehead and a searing pain rushes through my body burning every sense in my body away and I slip into unconsciousness against my will.


End file.
